Police chase runaway emu down Cargo Road near Orange, video goes viral

Police in the Central West district of New South Wales were dispatched after several reports of an emu wandering across Cargo Road in Nashdale, near Orange, and obstructing vehicles. Chief Inspector David Abercrombie described how a "keen, young" constable attempted to clear the road by chasing the bird, an effort captured on police video that quickly went viral, gathering more than 86,000 views. Both the officer and the emu emerged unharmed, and traffic flow was restored shortly thereafter.

Local resident Caro Webster said she had never seen an emu on that road, noting that typical wildlife includes cows, sheep, kangaroos and other native species. WIRES representative John Grant said the organization had received two recent emu sightings near Orange and warned the public to keep distance from any adult wildlife, emphasizing that keeping native animals as pets is illegal.