A runaway emu brought a California neighborhood to a standstill, weaving through traffic and turning Santa Cruz County sheriff’s deputies into impromptu bird wranglers.
Deputies were seen pursuing the fast-moving bird through local streets just days after another emu created a separate traffic disruption in the area.
“When we say no two days are the same in this line of work, we really mean it. Just another day on the job… apparently ‘keeping the peace’ sometimes translates to keeping an emu out of traffic long enough for its owner to come get it,” the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday.
“And no this is not a repeat offender from the CHP Santa Cruz emu incident. Different bird, same agenda: wreak havoc,” the office added.
The latest escape came only days after California Highway Patrol officers responded to reports of a different emu roaming near traffic, prompting several concerned motorists to call for help.
“Fortunately, the Emu’s owner quickly arrived on the scene, and we managed to safely corral their feathery friend. A big shoutout and thank you to everyone who called in to help us handle this unique situation!” CHP Santa Cruz wrote Wednesday.
The unusual incidents quickly sparked a wave of humor on Facebook, where users connected the emu’s appearance to a familiar insurance advertising campaign.
“It was just making sure that homeowner had car insurance,” one user joked. Another wrote, “He was looking for the audition for the Liberty Mutual car insurance commercial.”
Liberty Mutual launched its LiMu Emu campaign in 2019, featuring the feathered mascot alongside his human partner, Doug, in commercials built around the company’s “Only pay for what you need” slogan.
