Md. police kill giant bird

[yellowcanine]

Source: Washington Examiner

Calvert County police shot and killed a roving emu on Thursday after roughly nine weeks of hunting the 6-foot-tall wild bird. No one has come forward to claim the animal.

County residents began reporting emu sightings in early November. Police cautioned residents not to go near the bird, which can run up to 30 miles per hour and uses knife-like toenails to defend itself.



Read more: http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/capital-land/2011/01/md-police-kill-giant-bird

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Words fail. Maybe the emu was implicated in the exploding packages?

[Parche]

1. that looks like Darrell Issa

:rofl::rofl::hi:

[Vinca]

30. You should apologize to the dead bird.

[nyy1998]

43. lmao nt

[dana_b]

2. poor bird

I wonder why they couldn't at least try to sedate/capture it? Yes it would be difficult but it seems that there must be some zoological folks who could have helped out?

[montanacowboy]

3. Police love to shoot things

poor animal imagine and dam the people who let it loose

[yellowcanine]

6. They had apparently been trying to capture it since November. But still.

OTOH I am sure if someone had hit it on the highway or if it had hurt someone the ambulance chasing lawyers would have been all over the police for not shooting it when they had the opportunity. Such is the state of our litigious society.

[The Stranger]

8. I nominate this for absolute worst post of the year.

Somehow police shooting a bird turned into a smear on lawyers.

Incredible.

Congratulations.

[yellowcanine]

14. Not "Lawyers". "Ambulance Chasing Lawyers". They do exist.

Do you really think that someone would not sue the police if it turned out that they let an opportunity to shoot the emu pass and then someone were injured by the emu? Get real.

[COLGATE4]

32. Probably - and they would be within their rights to do so. The fact

that an injured person seeks to validate his/her rights through a court of law is the backbone of the legal system in this country. You do no one a favor by using the canard "ambulance chasing lawyers". Had you been driving, struck the Emu and been injured, I strongly suspect you would be singing a far different tune.

[yellowcanine]

49. I don't have a problem with people seeking redress for legitimate injuries caused by someone's

negligence. I do have a problem with the notion that every injured person deserves a big payment beyond legitimate medical expenses, property damage, lost work time, etc. and that "someone needs to pay" - that "someone" usually being the person or entity with the "deepest pockets", in many cases being the taxpayers of the jurisdiction of a police officer whose professional judgment is being questioned simply because there was a bad outcome - never mind if it is reasonable to hold the officer accountable for what was essentially an accident. And yes, there is a class of lawyers who make a specialty out of these kind of cases, whatever you want to call them. That is not a canard, it is fact.

[ret5hd]

48. Maybe cops should spend their time killing every deer, bear, emu, pig, cow, etc...

that isn't in a cage.

[yellowcanine]

50. Straw man alert. I am saying the cop deserves the benefit of the doubt in THIS case.

Extending it to all animals not in a cage is an absurdity and I think you know that.

[DCKit]

35. Unfair and wayyyyy harsh. nt

[thereismore]

4. A raptor on the loose! nt

[yellowcanine]

7. Eh - except emus are not raptors. Raptors are eagles, hawks, etc.

[thereismore]

19. Right. I was reacting to its use of claws as weapons. nt

[yellowcanine]

26. Point taken but I do believe they are mostly vegetarians supplemented by insects.

Very unraptor-like. Their claws are used only if you bother them.

[kestrel91316]

20. Emus are at most second cousins of velociraptors, lol.

[eShirl]

51. velociraptor

[FSogol]

5. Replace Emu with Lizard and it reminds me of a song

I've got a big lizard in my backyard
Can't afford to feed it anymore
Big lizard in my backyard
Bustin' down my neighbor's door

I was knocked outta bed
Late last night
I was woken up by the sound of dynamite
I ran downstairs to find an army man
He said "We gotta blow up those things we don't understand!"

There's no more big lizard in my backyard
I won't have to feed him anymore
No more lizard in my backyard
They shipped his ass to El Salvador!

Dead Milkmen

[LuvNewcastle]

13. Love Dead Milkmen

I saw them once when I was in college; fun was had by all. Later I started listening to Ween. Anyone know if there's anything like those bands around today?

[FSogol]

18. Yeah, I saw the Dead Milkmen several times. Always fun.

No idea if anyone like them is still around but go listen to "The Cheesecake Truck" by King Missile if you've never heard it.

[Sonoman]

9. They did the right thing.

Those birds can totally mess you up.

Years back, we had a neighbor who tried (and failed) to run a profitable emu operation. The dumb-ass released dozens of them into the woods.

They killed some of our dogs and we shot all of them that we could find.

Nasty mofos.

Sonoman

[udbcrzy2]

22. That's what I wondered about

If they were mean birds. We have wild geese here and they can get pretty nasty.
I cannot imagine a bird this size trying to attack my family. Nightmare.

[yellowcanine]

27. I think the danger of animal this size in traffic played a role also.

Imagine hitting one with a motorcycle. Or having one hit YOU at 30 mph.

[Sonoman]

38. Those things can kill a person.

And they have a temper to match.

Sonoman

[Speck Tater]

10. Imagine if it had used its knife-like claws to rip open a kid in a park.

Don't let that picture fool you. This animal can be a dangerous menace. Saying "oh, poor bird" is like saying "Oh, poor rabid wolf." It's all well and good to feel for the animals when you see them in a zoo or on a nature special on TV but few people these days have any appreciation any more for the dangers posed by wild animals. And don't forget, the emu is a direct descendant of the dinosaur.

Height: 6'6"
Running speed: 31 mph
Stride: 9 feet
Weight: up to 106 lbs

They have among the strongest legs of any land animal, and with their knife-sharp claws, which can be as much as 6 inches long, can easily rip through metal fencing. It's not something you want in a petting zoo, let alone running wild in an area with kids and small pets.

[yellowcanine]

17. I have heard they can do some damage with their beaks also.

[Tyrs WolfDaemon]

42. I take offense

A wolf, even a rabid one, is so much more majestic, grand,and other similar designations, than an over-sized turkey. :P

[Bigmack]

11. Lemme see...

Brine that mutha overnight...25 lbs of stuffing... one big-ass oven and pan...a bucket of gravy...

Them's good eats!

[LuvNewcastle]

16. Don't forget to smoke that long neck

and put in to season your pot of turnip greens!

[AsahinaKimi]

12. North of Santa Barbara and near the town of Solvang

Are several Emu farms. I understand they sell them for the meat, eggs, plumage etc. Now I don't eat anything but Fowl or Seafood, but I don't know if I would eat an Emu. I would hope after they shot it, it would become food. Its sad they had to shoot it. Seems to me there could have been other ways to capture it...

[yellowcanine]

15. I have had emu. It is kind of like a very lean beef steak. And kind of tough, imo.

[kestrel91316]

21. Betcha it braises or crockpots up real nice, though......

[yellowcanine]

24. I don't know. I am always suspicious when someone says, "Well they just didn't cook it correctly."

My mom used to throw the tough cuts into the pressure cooker. Sure it wasn't tough, but it didn't taste that great either.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

23. That is what I remember of ostrich meat...

... I had it at the Sioux Empire Fair in Sioux Falls about 10 years ago, on a stick. It had a beefy flavor to it, I liked it but haven't noticed it to be offered in recent times.

[hedgehog]

39. Now, that's the one strange food that should taste like chicken!

[madrchsod]

25. nasty animal if provoked...

these birds can inflict a lot of damage and can kill a human

[kurtzapril4]

29. So can dogs.

Can't remember the last time I heard of an emu-related death in the US.

As usual...cops killing things just because they can. Tell me...do people sue the gov't/po po when they hit deer?

[yellowcanine]

53. Deer are considered part of nature - "acts of God" in other words. Not so with emus.

Unless you are in New Zealand. And this emu had been running loose at least since November. So if the emu hurts someone in January someone could make the case for negligence by police, animal control, etc.

[TwilightGardener]

28. Very sad.

[lunatica]

31. I love that photograph! I'm so sorry they shot the Emu

[silverweb]

33. Love that picture.

Adorable expression, very cute face.

Flashing on that scene in Jurassic Park where the guy thinks the little dinos hunting him are cute -- just before they shred him. Yikes!

[elleng]

34. Heckuva bird!

Just wrote future son in law, MD police officer, to BEWARE!!!

[PfcHammer]

36. RIP emu

[Owl]

37. What an awesome cool bird (it was). I never knew much about 'em.

[Sonoman]

40. They are awful

See #9 above.

They are dumb, mean-tempered animals and they can be really aggressive.

But they taste pretty good if slow-cooked.

Sonoman

[guitar man]

41. It was probably self defense

Those birds really, really dislike pigs



:spray:

[skoalyman]

44. them emo's can be dangerous

[AnneD]

45. They killed....

Big Bird. Sesame Street will never be the same.

[Historic NY]

46. tastes like chicken...EMU nuggets.

[-..__...]

47. Should have brought this guy in to handle the situation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsgHkMRdNvk

I don't know what I find funnier... the 'flying tackle', or the cops reaction as if this was an everyday occurrence.

[leeroysphitz]

52. When deadly Emus are allowed to roam free the terrists win. n/t