9 hours Ago By People
Officials in suburban San Diego were in for a surprise last week when they received a report about an emu on the loose. According to a social media post from the San Diego Humane Society (SDHS), the shelter received a call on the evening of Wednesday, April 2, that an injured emu was wandering around near the 600 block of Vale View Drive in Vista, Calif. — located about 50 miles north of San Diego.
The humane society wrote that the giant bird has sustained injuries to its neck and right wing, and officers with the organizations Humane Officers & Emergency Response Team sprung into action. Related: Dire Wolves Return from Extinction: How Ancient DNA Is Bringing the Game of Thrones -Famous Puppies Back to Life In photos shared by the humane society, the emu — who has been nicknamed Claudius by shelter staff, according to local outlet 10 News — can be seen loading into the back of a trailer for transportation to the SDHS' Escondido, Calif., campus.
In other photos taken after the exotic bird arrived at the shelter and was placed in an outdoor yard, a cut can be seen down the emu's neck. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! The SDHS is treating the bird for its injuries as the shelter searches for its owner, 10 News reported. "As with any stray animal in our care, Claudius will remain on a 72-hour stray hold while we determine the next steps," Nina Thompson, the Humane Society's director of public relations, told the outlet.
Although owning an illegal animal — such as ferrets, large cats, hedgehogs, and monkeys, per the California Department of Fish and Wildlife — can result in a fine, civil case or misdemeanor charge, emus are legal to own. According to the American Emu Association , the birds — which are native to Australia — are often considered livestock, and it's usually recommended that owners have at least one acre of land for the bird to roam. Emus, per the National Zoo , are the second largest living bird standing at around 5.
5 feet tall, and males can weigh anywhere from 110 to 121 pounds. Females usually weigh more, usually around 130 pounds. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Earlier this week, a similar incident took place across state lines in Nevada, when authorities seized some illegal exotic pets from a residence in Parumph , about 60 miles outside Las Vegas. The Nye County Sheriff's Office said in a brief statement that deputies arrested a man after seven tigers were discovered on his property, and he was charged with fighting a deputy and illegally owning. He was released just a few hours later, at around the same time all the tigers had been removed from his home — and he told PEOPLE that the animals were for emotional support, prescribed to him after being diagnosed with PTSD.
"Really, I am just retired and living here with my tigers, who give me a sense of calm," the man said. "I am 100% disabled with PTSD and my psychiatrist at [Veterans Affairs] prescribed these as emotional support tigers." Read the original article on People.
