canberrabirds

Emus at Cotter

To: "" <>
Subject: Emus at Cotter
From: David Rosalky <>
Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2016 09:58:44 +0000

Hmm…

Doesn’t look like my style!  Anyway, I was trying to un-lure them.

 

From: Con Boekel [
Sent: Friday, 7 October 2016 6:18 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Emus at Cotter

 

David

Perhaps the reason is more, um, prosaic?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3033255/The-Emu-whisperer-Watch-ancient-Australian-technique-lure-emus.html

Con

 

On 10/7/2016 4:36 PM, David Rosalky wrote:

I walked from Cotter reserve up to the little picnic area at the top of the dam today with my grandson.  There was a group of four emus up there.  As I walked past them about 10m away, a big (presumably) male decided I was a threat to his group and approached me aggressively to within a couple of metres.  I chased him with my Akubra and he finally retreated.

 

Five minutes later, we were walking back and passed them again.  The old man had taken a dislike to me and attacked me again, this time not to be dissuaded with a hat.  He got within striking distance and was growling or honking.  Another man was there and he had a camera on a selfie-stick.  This was more of a threat to the emu and he finally retreated.

 

An interesting experience, if a little unnerving.  I don’t know whether I crossed an invisible proximity threshold, or it is my red hair (what’s left of it) or I said something offensive.  I was the closest person to the birds in both encounters, so it was probably proximity.

 

David Rosalky

 

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