canberrabirds

Emus at Cotter

To: "" <>
Subject: Emus at Cotter
From: Philip Veerman <>
Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2016 11:35:21 +0000

In 1978 when I was one of the select few with a key to the La Trobe Uni Wildlife reserve, we had a pair of Emus breeding there. I went rather too close to the nest, I don’t know why I would do that. I was pretty much attacked (I did not wait to find out) and fortunately I was able then, to fairly easily get about 1.5 metres up one of the nearest trees. Where the Emu walked around me in the tree for the next several minutes before I think settling down on the nest again and giving me the opportunity to meekly exist the scene.

 

In general female Emus are a bit bigger than males.

 

Philip

 

From: Steve Read [
Sent: Friday, 7 October, 2016 9:16 PM
To:
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Emus at Cotter

 

David – my scary emu story dates from the early 1990s in northern Queensland and didn’t have such a peaceful ending. Our little Subaru Brumby ute still bore the scars on the driver’s door when we sold it years later, the scars being where a rather large and very irate emu tried to kick its way in. We had just made it to the safety of the ute in time. A walking stick held up vertically above my then wife’s head (perhaps like the selfie stick in your story) deterred the bird for a while, presumably because it made her look like a taller emu. As in your story, the attack was essentially unprovoked except by proximity.

 

I’ve been very wary of emus ever since.

 

(The longer version of this story, with sound effects, is only to be told around a campfire.)

 

Steve

 

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

 

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Admin

The University of NSW School of Computer and Engineering takes no responsibility for the contents of this archive. It is purely a compilation of material sent by many people to the Canberra Ornithologists Group mailing list. It has not been checked for accuracy nor its content verified in any way. If you wish to get material removed from the archive or have other queries about the list contact David McDonald, list manager, phone (02) 6231 8904 or email . If you can not contact David McDonald e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU