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)
