Escaped emu sparks hours-long search in England

April 18 (UPI) -- An emu named Rodney escaped from his owner's home in England, sparking an hours-long search involving his owner, police, animal rescuers and members of the public.

Jon Cardy, 54, of Chedburgh, said he was away in Northamptonshire when he received word that his emu, Rodney, had jumped a fence and escaped while being watched by a pet sitter.

Cardy rushed back to town and an hours-long search was launched involving the Suffolk Constabulary and the RSPCA, as well as local residents who kept Cardy appraised of sightings on WhatsApp.

Cardy said a video posted to the app led him to rush to a location about a mile from his home, where he was able to lure Rodney into his car with some treats.

Sudbury & Haverhill Police posted a photo to Facebook showing an officer petting Rodney after the bird was safely returned home.

Cardy said Rodney has now been moved to the home of a neighbor with a taller fence. He said the neighbor already has an adult female emu, and the owners are now hoping the pair will hit it off and start an emu family.