Emu on the run in English countryside

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/aug/19/emu-on-the-run-in-english-countryside

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Police have issued an appeal for the capture of an emu on the run in the English countryside.

Thames Valley Police released a mugshot of the bird on Twitter, with instructions to the public to call police if they see the Australian flightless fugitive.

The bird has gone missing from a property about five miles east of Oxford, police said on Twitter.

EMU Missing from the Wheatley Area, any sightings please cal 101 #RodHull PCSO Dollery pic.twitter.com/GTLNg0vSDW

Earlier in the week Suffolk police reported they were looking to reunite a lost emu, originally believed to belong to jockey Frankie Dettori, with its owner.

The bird, nicknamed Eric, was found wandering up a farm driveway in Kirtling near Newmarket, Suffolk, on Saturday evening.

The RSPCA was contacted and the bird was looked after in a nearby stable.

Dettori, who lives in Newmarket, has an emu of his own, named Bruce and rushed to the scene to recover what he thought was his exotic pet.

But it later emerged his bird was safe at home.

RSPCA officer Jane Folly said: “This must have been quite an unexpected sight for the member of the public - not the sort of animal they normally see walking up their driveway.

“Birds this large can be difficult to catch so we were lucky in this case that he could be secured in the stable. The fact that he is this tame makes me think he is very likely to be someone’s missing pet.”

A spokeswoman for the Italian jockey told the East Anglian Daily Times: “There can’t be that many emus around here and thought it must be ours. Frankie careered over there with a horsebox to take it back, but it was not our emu - ours was safely tucked up at home.”