Pleasanton Police Answer 'Emu-gency' Call, Corral Wandering Large Flightless Bird
PLEASANTON (CBS SF) -- Authorities in the East Bay said they fielded an unusual "emu-gency" call Friday when Pleasanton Police received a report of an emu on the front yard of a residence.
The Pleasanton Police Department Twitter account posted information and photos about the unusual sighting shortly before 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon.
Talk about an EMU-gency in #Pleasanton! ???? Today, Animal Services Officer Frankie Ayers and CSO Amy Martin successfully lassoed a wandering emu and kept it calm. The emu is in safe hands waiting to be re-connected with its rightful owner at the @ACSOSheriffs shelter. pic.twitter.com/ZiSvObjZMR
— Pleasanton PD (@pleasantonpd) November 6, 2020
"We knew Animal Services Officer Frankie Ayers and [Community Service Officer] Amy Martin were the perfect candidates to handle the call" because they grew up on farms, the department's Facebook post on the incident read.
Ayers and Martin were able to lasso the large flightless bird and keep it calm as they placed the bird in a large cage for transport.
Pleasanton police said emu was in safe hands waiting to be re-connected with its rightful owner at the Alameda County Sheriff's Office's animal shelter.
There was no word on exactly where the emu had escaped from or who its owner was in the social media posts.
The emu is the second-largest living bird by height, according to Wikipedia, and is related to the ostrich. Emus are native to Australia.