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Footage of an Australian police officer chasing an emu down a country road has gone viral, with authorities using the light-hearted moment as a recruitment tool.<\/b><\/p>\n
The flightless bird – native to Australia – was reported to police by locals in Nashdale, 270km (168 miles) west of Sydney, after it was seen wandering onto a road, posing a potential danger to traffic and itself.<\/p>\n
Attempting to get the emu off the road, a young officer gave chase on foot but failed to catch his feathered target, despite speeding up at one point.<\/p>\n
The video has attracted many comments on the “emu-sing” chase, with one viewer referencing a famed cartoon: “Look, it’s the road runner, but that’s not the coyote behind him”.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, New South Wales police posted the footage on Facebook, saying the officer arrived at the scene to find the bird creating a “serious traffic hazard”.<\/p>\n
“Following a brief game of ‘catch me if you can’, the officer successfully moved the emu away from the roadway before it could ruffle any more feathers or cause a collision,” police wrote in the post.<\/p>\n
“It’s not every day you find yourself conducting traffic management for an emu, but that’s policing,” adding that anyone looking for a career where “every day brings something new”, becoming a police officer in regional areas was a good option.<\/p>\n
Chief Inspector David Abercrombie from the Central West Police District said the “keen, young” officer who gave chase was enjoying his short-lived fame as the footage had been viewed almost 90,000 times. <\/p>\n
Abercrombie said he was glad it wasn’t him who had been called to the bizarre scene. <\/p>\n
“If anyone asked me to chase an emu, it’d be more like watching a startled gazelle on Prozac,” he told national broadcaster ABC. “My speed would not be up to scratch.”<\/p>\n
Police in regional and rural areas were often called about animals on the road, he said, but they usually involved livestock or kangaroos.<\/p>\n
“It’s the trials and tribulations of the life of a country cop,” he said.<\/p>\n
The footage has captivated many in recent days, with humorous observations posted online.<\/p>\n
“Wait until it turns around and chases him. Then we’ll see how fast he can run,” joked one while another wrote: “At least that bird wasn’t a flight risk.”<\/p>\n
And one person posted “Emu wars revisited”, a reference to Australia’s failed Emu War of 1932 when the military unsuccessfully attempted to cull thousands of the birds as they ravaged crops.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n