Encounter with Emu

I ever seen an Emu in real until encounter it in Jamunamarathur, on the Javadu Hills, near Vellore. I visited this head village of Javadu Hills in January and spent a night at the BDO (block development office) guesthouse here while exploring the places around. I find the Emu being fenced between the BDO guesthouse and office, and there are two emus but only one came closer showing its majestic being the second largest bird in the world by height, it stands close to man shoulder.

As soon we arrive only the emu invites us, grabbing our attention toward the small gate that keeps away the bird entering the guesthouse. We don’t know what it would eat when thought to feed something; one of the jeep drivers told to give grasses that grown beneath our feet. Amazingly this was the first time I saw a bird munching grasses. Initially we scared to lean our hands across the gate but also the way it grabs the grasses was wild, it was calm when my cousin caress his head with a fear.

It also feeds on curd rice we dropped near the gate; but the Emu wasn't comfortable picking food from flat surface using its large beak. The bird survives on some grains from the blow which is nothing but an empty flower pot and the fencing wasn't large enough for the great bird to wander. I guess emus entered Tamil Nadu in 2006, for meat and reproduction purpose and many company were launched to promote this business in fancy names and immense advertisements dragging number of farm land owners to invest at their companies. But the business wasn't fair and before it flourish, raised down due to rose of defraud complain on many companies.

Footnote:

Emu is the largest bird native to Australia after its ratite relative, the Orstrich. The soft-feathered, brown flightless bird reaches up to 2 meters in height. The long necked and legged can travel great distances at a fast, economical trot and if necessary can sprint at 50 kmh. Emu are opportunistically nomadic and may travel long distances to find food; they feed on a variety of plants and insects, but have been known to go for weeks without food. (Source wiki)