An emu named Sweet Pea turned a Monday bike ride in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest into a wildlife call that did not end with a capture.
Todd Topham encountered the bird at about 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 9 while riding a trail, NJ.com reported. The owner told Topham that Sweet Pea had escaped from his residence on Pasadena Road, near the park.
Located, Not Caught
New Jersey State Parks Police later found the emu and could not capture her, the state Department of Environmental Protection said. A DEP spokesperson said park police were monitoring the area.
Visitors were told not to approach Sweet Pea. Sightings should go to State Park Police at 1-877-927-6337.
A Tall Bird, and a Short Temper
A farmer told NJ.com that even domesticated emus can become aggressive, particularly when frightened or pursued. People who are not trained to handle them should keep their distance.
That is a sizable animal to meet on a trail. Emus are flightless, native to Australia, can stand over 6 feet tall, and rank as the second-largest living bird after the ostrich, Cat Country 107.3 reported. Authorities also told the station the bird had escaped from an owner's property near Brendan Byrne State Forest.
Apples Worked Once
New Jersey has rounded up a loose emu before. In a separate case, UPI reported that a bird missing for more than two weeks was captured June 25 on Colby Road in Byram Township.
Animal control officers and Hound Hunters of New Jersey set up a pen and lured that emu inside with apples. The bird was taken to Space Farms Zoo & Museum for a permanent home.
Sweet Pea's search, as the DEP described it, was still a monitoring job: park police on the area, and a phone number for anyone who sees her before they try to close the gap themselves.
