Arabic version: إيمو هارب يشعل مطاردة للشرطة قرب أورانج

According to ABC News, a Central West NSW police officer chased an emu off Cargo Road in Nashdale, west of Orange, after the bird ran across the road and blocked traffic. Local officers had received a number of calls about the tall flightless bird, and video of the unusual pursuit was filmed by NSW Police and shared online.

Chief Inspector David Abercrombie of the Central West Police District said a “keen, young” officer chose to chase the emu from the road in what he believed was the best way to resolve the traffic hazard. The video had attracted more than 86,000 views after being posted online.

Abercrombie said no people or emus were harmed and traffic returned to normal soon afterwards. He said the young constable was doing very well and was excited that the footage had gone viral. Police in the area commonly receive reports of animals on roads, he said, though they are usually livestock or kangaroos rather than emus.

It remains unclear where the emu came from or where it went. Nashdale resident Caro Webster said emus were not typical visitors to the district or the neighbouring sub-alpine forest around Mount Canobolas. WIRES representative John Grant said the rescue group had recently received two reports of emus on roads around Orange and advised people to keep their distance from adult wildlife, which can behave unpredictably when threatened. He said it was not yet clear whether the birds were wild emus, noting that the species is sometimes kept as pets and later released when difficult to house or handle.