Emu Headbutts Captor After Escaping Farm in Devon
A man attempting to subdue an escaped emu on a country road was headbutted by the bird before it returned to its enclosure.
An escaped emu was tackled to the ground on a country road in Salcombe, Devon, on September 9, after bolting from its holding. Footage captured by James Barker, 46, shows a man struggling to keep the defiant bird under control.
During the scuffle, which lasted at least 20 seconds, the man shouted, "Emu down, emu down!" in an attempt to get assistance from farm staff. The bird then headbutted its captor, sending him to the other side of the road, before trotting back into the gated property it had escaped from.
Barker, who was amused by the situation, noted an alpaca watching the struggle from inside the farm's gateway. He decided to film the incident, stating, "It's not something you see every day. I had to take a video otherwise people wouldn't believe me."
His wife, Ro Barker, shared the video on social media, where it garnered over two million views. One viewer commented, "You can't make that up, this has made my day."