LANSING — An adult emu that ran loose in a south Lansing neighborhood on June 26 and died after responders managed to corral it in a backyard was owned by a local man who was well-known to animal control officers, officials said.
“It’s a little tough trying to contain a big, huge bird that doesn’t want to be contained,” said Dan Verhougstraete, deputy director of Ingham County Animal Control, which responded to the strange incident on Reo Road along with Lansing police.
After receiving calls for an emu chasing cars and running at people, officers weren’t surprised to learn the animal was owned by a man who has had extensive dealings with animal control over the past decade, Verhougstraete said.
Animal Control had responded dozens of times for reports of loose animals, including dogs, chickens and goats, involving the same man, some resulting in him facing criminal charges, Verhougstraete said.
On Thursday, several Lansing police officers and an animal control officer worked for more than an hour to capture the bird and eventually managed to corral it in a fenced-in backyard. An animal control officer approached it from behind in order to grab it, set it down and hold it there with the help of police officers.
The emu died during that process, and the animal control officer tried to resuscitate it, Verhougstraete said
The bird’s owner eventually picked up the emu, and said, “It’s turkey dinner time,” and walked off with it, Verhougstraete said. It was unclear what caused the bird’s death, he said.
“He took the animal to eat it, so I can’t do a necropsy on it,” he said.
A second animal control officer eventually responded, and three police officers helped in the effort to catch the bird, he said.
Emus are large, flightless birds related to ostriches and are native to Australia, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
They can stand as tall as six feet, with males weighing 100-120 pounds and females about 10 pounds heavier, according to the Smithsonian. They are the second-largest bird species and the largest bird found in Australia. They typically live five to 10 years but have lived longer when in human care.
Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on X @KBPalm_lsj
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Officials: Emu killed in capture attempt owned by Lansing man with history of violations
Reporting by Ken Palmer, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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