Escaped Emu Captured After Report of Wandering Ostrich

Sep 23, 2026 | News On Japan

SHIGA - An emu that escaped from the home of a traveling zoo operator was captured after wandering through a residential neighborhood in Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture, on September 23, following a police report from a resident who mistook the bird for an ostrich.

Police received a call shortly before 7 a.m. reporting that an ostrich was roaming the neighborhood. Officers identified the escaped bird as an emu kept by someone involved in a nearby traveling zoo, and it was captured approximately two hours later.

According to the zoo operator, both emus and ostriches were kept as pets and allowed to roam freely in the garden of the operator's home.

Police are investigating how the emu managed to escape.

Source: TBS

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