Emu on the Run: Flightless Bird Leads Police on Chase Through Massachusetts Towns

Now this is quite 'emu'-sing (see what we did there?).

For those who don't know, this is an emu.

According to the Smithsonian, these large, flightless birds are native to Australia, and reside in "eucalyptus forest, woodland, heath land, desert shrub lands and sand plains." When it comes to birds, emus are second in height only to ostriches, standing at around 5.7 feet tall. That's taller than this writer.

So, you may be wondering, "why's an emu wandering around Massachusetts?"

It turns out that the emu in question, Mallory, resides in East Bridgewater with a man named Lee Flaherty, according to NBC News. On Thursday night, the large bird managed to hop a six-foot fence (likely after being spooked by an animal), and take off.

What followed was a wild goose chase (or emu chase?) that led police into the nearby town of Brockton, past both Massasoit Community College and Brockton Hospital, according to WCVB5. The Smithsonian says that emus can run up to 30+ miles an hour, so this bird wasn't messing around. You can even see Mallory walking towards an intersection, then running alongside a moving car in this security footage.

Thankfully, this story has a happy ending.

After several hours, the spooked emu was eventually caught in a parking lot and returned to her home. Despite having a leg injury and being generally shaken up, Mallory is safe and sound and expected to make a full recovery.

Did you know that you can legally own an emu in Maine? Here are some other animals that you're allowed to have as pets in the Pine Tree State.