A Whole Lot Of Emus Have Taken Over This Tiny Country Town
Nannup is a tiny town in Western Australia that’s home to around 1300 people. Of late, though, the town’s population has swelled with a new flock of residents. We’re talking here about a whole lot of emus.
These native birds have long dwelled in the bushland around Nannup, but their en masse arrival into town is a recent phenomenon. According to reports, up to three families of emus are roaming Nannup, totalling over 20 adults and chicks.
Locals believe the families have been driven into town by a long dry spell in their natural habitat. Food and water are easier to come by on residential streets and yards.
“They’ve proven to become a bit of a nuisance in people’s yards, and doing their dung on public thoroughfares,” Nannup Shire President Tony Dean told ABC News. A motorcyclist was also injured after hitting one of the birds in December.
Nannup’s human residents are divided on how to deal with the happy families.
The Nannup Shire Council issued advice on sharing a town with emus. (While emus are usually pretty chill, males with a flock of chicks can be aggressive.)
The Council advises residents and visitors not to feed or approach emus. Their recommended deterrents include loud noises and “high pressure water from hoses”. The latter suggestion has, unsurprisingly, annoyed several locals who see it as unnecessarily cruel.
At the Nannup Caravan Park, emus are welcome. Staff keep the caravan park’s Facebook feed updated with vital bird content, including this video from an earlier influx last year. All together now: “How Aussie is this?”
For now, the flightless newcomers are staying. It seems most residents are happy to have them around, and it’s certainly the town’s biggest news story in a while. Sure, Sydney has a shiny new zoo, but WA has the emus of Nannup.
(Lead Image: Nannup Caravan Park)
