"We kept 10 to 12 at a time as pets, and we'd collect the eggs and incubate them," Oates told The Daily Star. "This one was very lucky she came to our door."
Oates, several community members and eventually police chased the emu through town, including the on-ramp for Interstate 88, before Oates was able to approach it from the side, subdue its legs and coax it to lie down.
The emu spent the night in Oates' family's basement before being transported Monday to the Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville.
Oates said it was unclear where the female emu originated, although some of the birds are kept on farms in the area.
"She's a very docile, very good bird," Oates said. "She seemed drawn to my voice. It's very likely she was in captivity and used to being around people."
