‘Runaway emu’ sprints through Ohio field with cops hot on its tail, video shows

A large, exotic bird was seen running around the Ohio capital after it flew the coop.

The bird, a “runaway emu,” escaped from a sanctuary on July 24, according to a news release from the Columbus Police Department.

Officers were dispatched to the southwestern part of the city to wrangle the creature, though the bird proved elusive.

Video captured by an officer’s body camera shows the evasive animal sprinting through green fields and into a wooded area.

After several failed attempts to capture the bird, a man managed to slowly place the end of a catchpole around the animal’s neck.

The emu was then strapped to a stretcher and transported back to its sanctuary unharmed, police said.

“Quite the ‘emusing’ call officers received this morning,” police said of the incident.

Native to Australia, emus are the second-biggest living bird in the world, according to the Smithsonian Institution.

The long-legged bird can weigh up to 121 pounds and can run up to 31 mph, according to the institution.

This story was originally published July 25, 2023 at 4:20 PM with the headline "‘Runaway emu’ sprints through Ohio field with cops hot on its tail, video shows."