Emu arrested by Hong Kong authorities in parking lot after 4-hour chase in New Territories

Hong Kong wildlife authorities recovered an emu that ran amok in the northern New Territories for four hours on Saturday, with the flightless bird earlier spotted attempting to race motorists and walking through a public housing estate.

Police received a report at 7:18 a.m. about the large flightless bird wandering along an intersection of Tin Sau Road and Tin Ying Road in Tin Shui Wai, before being later spotted on Wetland Park Road at 9 a.m. h 13.

Videos that have gone viral online show the emu racing cars and heading towards a public housing estate, while a driver in another clip can be seen swerving to avoid the bird as it races into the opposite direction of traffic along Tin Ying Road.

At 9:55 a.m., police said Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) staff and wildlife officials were attempting to recover the bird.

The force said the emu was captured at 11.28am and taken away by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation (AFCD).

The SPCA said its inspectors managed to capture the emu after it entered Hong Kong’s wetland park, with an initial inspection suggesting the bird was unharmed.

A park employee told local media that the emu may belong to a private farm in the area.

The emu is a relative of the common ostrich and shares a similar appearance, but is smaller and found in Australia rather than Africa.

The birds also have a shorter wingspan, with a smaller neck covered in feathers and three toes per foot instead of two.

Hong Kong Bird Watching Society director Yu Yat-tung said the emu likely arrived in the city through human means, as it was neither native to the area nor a migratory species.

He also warned the public against approaching an emu, even if he had experience with the birds.

“Residents should leave it to professionals to handle the animal if they encounter one, whether it is the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation or the Society for the Prevention of cruelty to animals,” he said.