UPDATED: Freaky Fast Fugitive Bird Meets Its Fate

A picture of an emu on the loose in western Michigan has gone viral since it was posted on the Ionia County Central Dispatch’s Facebook page. (Photo via Facebook)

» Get Patch’s daily newsletter and real-time news alerts.

This story has been updated:

The emu on the run since Saturday was located Wednesday and put down, farmer Paul Tasma told WZZM-TV.

The large, flightless bird that escaped from Emu Endeavor on East Peck Lake Road in Ionia County was found on the back of the property, he said.

Patch’s earlier story:

It may not end well for that really big, freaky fast bird on the run in Michigan.

The emu flew the coop – not literally, because emus are flightless birds – from an Ionia County farm Saturday. On the lam since, the bird apparently won’t be taken alive after jumping the 6-foot fence, emu farmer Mary Tasma told WWJ/CBS Detroit.

Tasma, says the birds are cagey and are nearly impossible to capture.

The Australian bird can run as fast as 30 mph – that’s faster than the world’s fastest man, Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt, who ran 28 mph. In the animal kingdom, the emu’s run is only a walk; the cheetah is the fastest on land, capable of running 61 mph, and pronghorn antelopes, blue wildebeests, lions and gazelles would all leave emus in their dust.

But the point is, unless Bolt shows up, no one is going to catch the bird. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Emus have sharp claws that can be used as weapons.

Catch Up On This Story:

• Really Big Bird on the Lam, Dangerous If Approached

Tasma would like to get the bird back, but it will probably have to be shot, she told WZZM-TV. She’s not sure what direction the fugitive bird ran when it escaped, but it was spotted in the next county, Kent, near M-50, on Monday. Two days later, it could be anywhere.

It’s not that easy to find, either, said Tasma’s son, Paul, who helps out on the farm.

“Right now, it could be under that bush and you wouldn’t see it,” he told WZZM. “They are very camouflaged.”

His mother has been running the Emu Endeavor farm for about 20 years and sells their meat, eggs and oils, which can be used to treat skin problems such as eczema psoriasis and burns.

Also on Patch:

• Pig Goes Hog Wild, Ends Up in Pokey
• Why Mayoral Run by Michigan Pig Isn’t Just for Giggles

Knowing the emu’s fate – whether felled by a bullet or slaughtered as part of an agricultural enterprise – some commenters on the Ionia County Central Dispatch Facebook page are cheering for bird.

“Run, emu, run!,” urged commenter Jean Moseler, who noted it “doesn’t sound like home is a very safe place” for the bird.

This is the second time an emu has escaped from the Emu Endeavors farm. One jumped the fence a couple of years ago, too.

Mary Tasma, 86, is thinking about cashing in after the melee that resulted in the emu’s escape Saturday. She told WZZM-TV the birds got into a scuffle over – you guessed it – sex.

“If they act like they do now, I am going to get out of it soon,” she told WZZM.