Escaped emu captured at Prince George, B.C., airport with the help of a local farmer
Staff at the airport in Prince George, B.C., say seeing animals like bears and moose on the grounds is fairly normal.
But not emu.
That was the reality this past Monday, when the large, brown bird made its way down an access road and onto airport property.
“That’s a really unusual sighting,” says Chrisie Berry, the community relations manager for the Prince George Airport, in an interview with CTV News Vancouver. “Emus are not exactly native to this area.”
Berry says she first saw social media posts about the emu wandering through the city and started following the story.
Then she was sent a video of the flightless bird running towards the airport and alerted the airport’s operations group.
“They were already aware the bird was there, so they were just kind of hanging out with it, keeping their distance and not stressing it out, just monitoring it, making sure it’s not going to go somewhere it shouldn’t be,” she says.
Berry says she then jumped in her car and drove to the airport to help with the emu she estimates is at least 5’ tall.
“But most of that is long neck and long legs,” she says.
The bird did not wander towards the airfield and generally left staff alone says Berry, adding it never became a threat to aviation operations. She says the emu was there for about three hours.
“We wanted it removed from airport property. That’s the best case scenario just so we don’t end up with an issue,” she says.
Berry says normally conservation officers or animal control would help with animals, but neither group had experience with the flightless bird. So, they worked with a local veterinary clinic that deals with exotic and large animals to find someone who could help corral the emu.
They pointed Berry in the direction of Brent Meise, the operator of the nearby Blackspruce Farm Tour.
“He has emu, but this wasn’t his emu,” she says. “But, he was nice enough to hook up a horse trailer and come get it for us.”
She says Meise was the hero of the day.
As for the bird’s current whereabouts, CTV News Vancouver has reached out to Blackspruce Farm Tour for more information.
“You never know what you’ll see at the airport and every day is different,” says Berry.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Spain abolishes national bullfighting award in cultural shift
Spain scrapped an annual bullfighting award on Friday, prompting a rebuke from conservatives over a backlash against a centuries-old tradition they see as an art form but which has run into growing concern for animal welfare.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.