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
