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An escaped emu is causing quite a stir in Lincolnshire, England, where local police are begging residents to stop chasing the bird in their 4×4 vehicles.
The flightless bird has been roaming free in the Spilsby area for several weeks now, and what should be a straightforward capture has turned into quite the ordeal.
Here’s the thing: experts actually have a plan. The National Exotics Animal Rescue Service (NEARS) has brought in a specialist team to catch the wandering bird. They’ve been trying to gain its trust by leaving food in the same spot day after day.
But there’s a problem.
Local thrill-seekers keep scaring the emu away with their vehicles, making the rescue team’s job nearly impossible. Police are worried the spooked bird might run into traffic and hurt itself or cause an accident.
“Please just let the professionals handle this,” the Lincolnshire police pleaded on Facebook, though their post suggests they’re fighting an uphill battle against enthusiastic amateur emu-chasers.
But there might be something more sinister going on. Comments on the police’s Facebook post hint at illegal hunting activity, with several residents claiming “lampers” – illegal nighttime hunters who use powerful spotlights – are actually trying to hunt the emu.
“She was actively hunted,” wrote one concerned local, using the term “lampers” – notorious figures known in British media as the “thugs of the countryside.”
It’s just the latest in a string of escaped animal stories that have captured public attention. From the six-month saga of a runaway kangaroo to that unforgettable Great Llama Chase of 2015, there’s something about animals on the loose that people just can’t resist.
The police haven’t revealed where the emu escaped from, but right now, their main concern is keeping both the bird and local drivers safe – if they can just get people to stop chasing it first.
