Latest news with #emus
ABC News
16-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Imported emu colony swam to the mainland now thriving with the locals
In Potato Point on the NSW south coast, a mob of emus imported as pets from Western Australia broke free and now roam the beaches and suburbia.
ABC News
16-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Shipment of emus that swam to mainland New South Wales now thriving at Potato Point
Every resident in Potato Point has a story to tell about their most unusual neighbours. The little town on the NSW south coast, population 159, is home to one of the only thriving emu colonies on the Australian east coast. Local WIRES volunteer Rachel McInnes didn't know Potato Point, 8 kilometres east of Bodalla, had emus when she moved to the area 18 years ago. "It's a joy to go out your back or front door and see a couple of emus walking down the street," she says. "It's hilarious when you look down on the beach and think: 'What's that? Is that a person? No, it's an emu.' "That's just more icing on the cake of living in such a beautiful area." A businessman shipped in a population of about a dozen emus from Western Australia 30 years ago to live on his private island — Horse Island — at the mouth of the Tuross River. What he didn't realise was that emus are proficient swimmers, and soon his imported pets had made a break for the mainland — 20 to 100 metres away, depending on the tide. "I didn't know emus could swim," Ms McInnes says. The population struggled at first. But now, with the National Parks and Wildlife Service placing fox baits throughout the national park, Potato Point and the surrounding Eurobodalla National Park have become an emu haven. "Every year we see chicks, and lots of them," Ms McInnes says. "It's a topic of conversation when the new chicks are hatched: 'How many have you seen?'" This year, one local spotted a male emu with 21 chicks. For her PhD, Western Sydney University ecological statistician Julia Ryeland researched the fluctuations in emu populations along the east coast. "There are lots of records of emus being all throughout Sydney and along the east coast," Dr Ryeland says. "However, there are only a few areas where they remain on the east coast, and Eurobodalla National Park is one of them." Dr Ryeland says emu populations along the coast have declined from historical levels because of hunting, loss of habitat, and introduced predators such as foxes. It makes the little oasis at Potato Point important for the iconic Australian species. Dr Ryeland says emus are catalysts for bush regeneration by transporting seeds that get stuck in their claws or that pass through their digestive system. "It looks like they are quite a key seed disperser among different landscapes," she says. "They are one of the few species that are completely generous. They more or less eat anything, and they can transport really large amounts of seed really quite far distances. Ms McInnes says humans and emus live together in harmony at Potato Point. "They are protected here. We give them space and they are happy to coexist," she says. Sometimes tourists will turn up and ask a local where to see the emus. But Ms McInnes says they are not tame pets. "Don't ever think you're going to get a selfie with a wild emu. They are absolutely a wild animal," she says. "When we have visitors, they are absolutely tickled to see emus. To top it off, they might see a couple of kangaroos hopping down the main street. It's very cliché, but I love that we have them here. "We have the coat of arms living in our village. How lucky are we? "It's such a privilege to have them."
CBS News
08-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
How a couple raises emus on a central Minnesota farm
They are the second largest birds in the world, and you can find them here in our state at E2's Emu Ranch in Chisago County. Beth and Eric Engstrom always knew they wanted a farm, but they never dreamed they'd fill it with non-traditional farm critters. "I've always had an extreme love for animals. I just didn't know it would go this far," said Beth Engstrom. At the center of it all are the emus. Their leader is 5-year-old Bud, and he's the official greeter. And he's always curious. Bud is one of a half-dozen flightless emus you'll find at the ranch. The birds are native to Australia, but nearly 30 years ago the Engstroms brought them to their farm near Shafer. "We went into it knowing it was going to be a long-haul type thing," said Beth Engstrom. Back then there were a lot more emu farms in Minnesota, but the market crashed, causing people here to sell off their birds. Now, supply is low, but demand is high. "The reason why they are becoming more popular, I firmly believe it's because of the TV commercial about the insurance," said Beth Engstrom, talking about the Liberty Mutual's LiMu Emu commercials. "We've got a waiting list that's two years long right now for emu chicks." Chicks are a big part of E2's Emu Ranch. The animals are mostly raised for breeding purposes. Not long after they're born, they'll be sent to a new home. Emu eggs are green to blend in with the springtime vegetation in Australia. The male that sits in the nest and takes care of the eggs and he can sit on them for up to 50 days or more. But due to cooler weather in Minnesota, the eggs get a little help. "We've got the incubators running. We've got nine eggs going," said Beth Engstroms. The Engstroms also make their own emu oil, lotion, soap, hair products and lip balm. Beth is even starting to make jewelry out of leftover emu eggshells. A full-grown emu like Bud will be about 7 feet tall, when he stands up straight. Because they're not always fans of open spaces and they love to run, the Engstroms built them long pens with tall fences. But when they want to get out, they do. "They can run 35 to 40 miles an hour, and if he really wanted to and he has, he can run fast enough to jump this fence," said Beth Engstrom. "That's why you need 6-foot fences. At least a 6-foot fence," said Eric Engstrom. The Engstroms said that when the emus escape, they always come back. Because for birds like Bud, there's no place like home. "We are living our dream. It's really fun," said Beth Engstrom. Emus have been known to live to be 40 years old and a female can lay up to 35 eggs in the spring. The Engstroms say the name E2's Emu Ranch comes from Eric Engstrom's name.
