WATCH: Florida deputy captures runaway emu and returns the large, flightless bird home unharmed
Come here. Come here, come here, come here, come here, come here. Come on. Oh gosh. Keep going this way. Yeah, some big old talons. Come here. Hold on one second. So Is this where you live? I’ll be honest with you, I’ve never handcuffed an emu before, but they’ll fit. Around his legs and that’ll keep him from kicking and you go, there you go. Oh, look, look who’s got you now. Don’t look at me that way. Hey, hey, don’t bite me, don’t even think about it, don’t do it. Secured. Look at that. I have *** full set of cuffs on this emu. Yeah, say hello. Oh. You ain’t going nowhere now.
WATCH: Florida deputy captures runaway emu and returns the large, flightless bird home unharmed
Updated: 11:55 AM CST Jan 16, 2026
A Florida deputy has captured a runaway emu and safely returned the large flightless bird to its home.Watch video of the incident in the player above.A St. Johns County deputy responded last Friday to a rural area west of St. Augustine following reports of the bird’s escape, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.The deputy attempted to secure the emu, but the bird kicked several times using its large talons and fled, authorities said. After a short chase, the deputy cornered the emu, secured it with a makeshift lasso and handcuffed its legs together to render the talons useless.The emu was returned to its owners unharmed. No charges were filed.Emus are native to Australia and can grow to more than 6 feet. They have soft, brown feathers, a long neck and long legs, which allow them to sprint up to 30 mph.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. —
A Florida deputy has captured a runaway emu and safely returned the large flightless bird to its home.
Watch video of the incident in the player above.
A St. Johns County deputy responded last Friday to a rural area west of St. Augustine following reports of the bird’s escape, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
The deputy attempted to secure the emu, but the bird kicked several times using its large talons and fled, authorities said. After a short chase, the deputy cornered the emu, secured it with a makeshift lasso and handcuffed its legs together to render the talons useless.
The emu was returned to its owners unharmed. No charges were filed.
Emus are native to Australia and can grow to more than 6 feet. They have soft, brown feathers, a long neck and long legs, which allow them to sprint up to 30 mph.