Police in Passaic County, New Jersey were busy yesterday after they kept getting reports of a wild emu running through the streets of a neighborhood. “It was running down the street and people didn’t know what the hell it was. They kept calling us,” said John DeCando, chief animal control officer for the county. Animal control officers used a net to humanely catch the bird, which is about 3 and 1/4 to 4-feet tall. The emu was then placed in a large crate inside an animal control van and transported to the local shelter. While emus are rare in North Jersey, DeCando said it’s possible the animal wandered off a farm or came from nearby Garrett Mountain, where unusual and rare birds are a common sight. The bird appears to be healthy, but officers say it certainly could use a bath.
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