Australian pub bans emus for 'bad behavior'

July 28 (UPI) -- A pub in the Australian outback has banned a pair of beloved local emus from the establishment for improper acts, including stealing food and defecating on the floor.

The owners of the Yaraka Hotel in Yaraka (permanent population 18), Queensland, posted a sign at the entrance of the pub stating that the town's local emus, Kevin and Carol, no longer are allowed inside.

"Emus have been banned from this establishment for bad behavior," a sign at the door reads.

Gerry and Chris Gimblett, the business' owners, said they had to ban the emus after the large birds learned to climb the front steps.

"They've been stealing things from the guests, especially their food. They'd stick their heads in and pinch toast out of the toaster," Gerry Gimblett told Guardian Australia.

"But the main reason we've banned them is their droppings. They're enormous, very large and very smelly, and they created great stains," she said.

The Gimbletts said they installed a rope barrier outside the pub and a sign asks customers to remember to close the rope after entering to prevent the emus from following.

"They still hang around each gate, hoping that they'll be able to slip in when someone opens it up," Chris Gimblett told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. "But so far we are winning the war."