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Police In Pa. Tase Emu Running Loose On Road

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Sep 3, 2008 2:20 pm US/Central

Police In Pa. Tase Emu Running Loose On Road

NEW STANTON, Pa. (CBS) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: Emus are native to Australia and don't fly, but can reach speeds of about 30 miles per hour on the ground. (File)
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KDKA-TV Local Coverage

Why did the emu cross the turnpike?

That's a question State police don't know how to answer, reports CBS station KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh.

It happened around 11 a.m. Monday near the New Stanton exit.

Drivers called to report an animal in the road. When police arrived they found the animal was an emu. An emu looks similar to an ostrich.

Experts at the Living Treasures animal park in Donegal say an emu is typically between four and five feet tall and weighs 70 or 80 pounds.

The birds are native to Australia and don't fly, but can reach speeds of about 30 miles per hour on the ground.

State police say having any sort of animal in the road can be dangerous, but one this size is especially hazardous.

Police used several methods to try to catch the emu, but eventually used a taser to shock it. The bird died a short time later.

Animal experts say the emu's death was more likely the result of exhaustion rather than the shock. The whole ordeal lasted for about two hours.