Drone vs. Emu: New York Cops Chase Down ‘Feathered Fugitive’
One runaway emu somehow turned a petting zoo escape into an aerial police operation.
Forget horsepower. New York police recently found themselves measuring a pursuit in feathers per second after an emu escaped from a local petting zoo. Catching the runaway required multiple officers, some teamwork, and, because this emu had earned aerial surveillance, a police drone.
Based on reports by UPI, the Town of Ramapo Police Department was called on Saturday after the bird embarked on what officers later described as an “unauthorized tour” of the area. Police eventually located their suspect, but convincing it to surrender its newfound freedom was another matter.
The department dubbed the escapee a “feathered fugitive,” which seems fitting considering how seriously it took the getaway. There was just one problem with bringing the chase to an end: The flightless bird was quite the flight risk.
Things escalate to a bird’s eye view
Ramapo police said their Drone as First Responder was deployed to track the emu’s movements from above while officers continued the pursuit on the ground. Yes, the runaway petting zoo bird had officially reached the aerial-surveillance stage of the bird hunt.
Emus may be flightless, but they are certainly not speed-less. The large Australian birds can reach speeds of around 30 mph, meaning officers weren’t exactly pursuing something they could casually stroll up to with a handful of birdseed.
The chase eventually spilled onto a road, giving Ramapo police the perfect opportunity to beat everyone else to the obvious joke. “We don’t know why the chicken crossed the road, but the emu crossed the road because Sgt. Anton didn’t give it an option,” the department said. With its evident determination to cross more than one road in New York, this wanderlust-ful emu could easily be friends with the kitten who hitched a ride inside a car’s engine bay. They would make great travel besties.
Not exactly your average high-speed chase
With the drone in the sky and officers on the ground, the emu’s unauthorized tour of the town eventually came to a close. Authorities managed to get the bird under control before safely escorting it back to the petting zoo, where it can experience more petting and fewer police pursuits.
There were no injuries and, perhaps more importantly for our feathered fugitive’s criminal record, no citations. Somehow, this emu emerged from a multi-officer police chase with a cleaner record than most movie getaway drivers.
Ramapo police also reported, “no word yet on whether it plans to escape again.” After proving that it takes multiple officers and aerial tech to catch the emu, perhaps nobody should mention any ideas for future breakouts.
For now, the fugitive is safely back home, Ramapo’s streets have survived their unexpected bird chase, and one flightless emu can officially say it took a drone to stop its getaway. The emu may have lost the chase, but good luck topping that story back at the aviary.
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