Emu recorded running through traffic in Israel

HERZLIYA, Israel, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- An emu running alongside traffic in an Israeli city was caught on camera by a scooter rider who chased the flightless bird near a shopping center.

The scooter driver, who identified himself by the pseudonym "Roi," said the bird appeared to be running nearly 25 mph Sunday in the road near a shopping center in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv.

"I called the police and reported the emu sighting. They were stunned. As I drove, I noticed that a city vehicle had arrived to deal with the emu and was zigzagging between lanes, but I was the only one who managed to chase after it with my scooter," Roi told YNetNews.

A number of motorists in Herzliya reported emu sightings Sunday and at least one other motorist captured video of the tall bird running in the road.

Roi's video shows the emu being wrestled and eventually captured by two workers with Herzliya's City Hall Veterinarian Department.

Emus, which are native to Australia, can reach heights of over 6 feet and can run at speeds of about 30 mph.

Herzliya officials said the emu is thought to have escaped from an unregistered farm. The Nature and Parks Authority is investigating the incident and the emu is being held by the city until the owners can be identified.