The closest encounter most West Virginians can expect to have with an emu is an occasional sighting of LiMu Emu, the long-legged, shades-wearing sidekick of Doug on televised Liberty Mutual Insurance commercials.
But in neighborhoods in and around the Wood County communities of Parkersburg, Williamstown and Waverly last week, emu sightings were a bit more authentic and near at hand.
I learned about the plight of the large, flightless bird Friday, while surfing my way through an assortment of online state news sources in search of inspiration for this column.
After being seen strolling along streets and across lawns and gardens in the Ohio River towns and having its photograph posted on a variety of social media sites, the emu’s time as fugitive came to an end Wednesday. The giant bird was cornered in a well-fenced back yard on the outskirts of Parkersburg and detained there until Wood County Sheriff’s deputies arrived.
After deputies secured the bird’s powerful legs. Earl Khosrovi, owner of nearby Alpaca Run Farm, was contacted to see if he would be willing to foster the emu until its owner could be located. Khosrovi, who has assisted in rescuing and fostering other exotic farm animals, including llamas, donkeys, miniature horses, Jacob sheep, alpacas and peacocks, agreed to the arrangement.
Since the emu arrived at his farm Wednesday, Khosrovi has learned through social media, phone calls and other contacts that the bird had been in the area for much longer than the past week. “The sightings go back to at least Jan. 14,†he said late Friday.
Despite spending months on its own, the emu, which Khosrovi nicknamed Kevin, is in good health. “The veterinarian examined Kevin today, and except for a possible pulled leg muscle that’s causing a slight limp and the 50 or 60 ticks we’ve removed so far, he’s doing greatâ€
At his farm, Khosrovi raises, breeds and shows more than 30 Suri alpacas, in addition to shearing and selling their silky, durable wool. After talking with other alpaca breeders and doing some online research, he learned virtually nothing about how compatible emus and alpacas might be.
“So I decided to open a gate and find out,†he said. “It turns out, they get along fine together.†Even the alpaca feed he uses is compatible with Kevin’s nutritional requirements. he said.
Emus, a species native to Australia, are ostrich-like birds that, when fully grown, average 5.5 feet in height and weigh up to 120 pounds, and can run at speeds topping 30 mph, according to the Smithsonian Zoo.
“Kevin is somewhere between 4 and 5 feet tall and weighs between 50 and 75 pounds,†said Khosrovi. “Looks like he still has some growing to do.â€
Khosrovi described the emu as gentle and unafraid of humans.
“He’s obviously been around people,†Khosrovi said. But the amount of time the emu has been on its own without its previous owner attempting to locate it indicates “I’ll probably end up keeping him,†he said.
If so, Khosrovi may soon have to stop thinking of Kevin as a “him.â€
By applying gender-identifying clues gleaned about the colors and patterns of neck feathers and top-of-head hair, the emu is quite likely a female.
“I think I’ll still call her Kevin,†he said.
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