Emu Finally Captured In Woodbine

UPPER TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- An emu that wandered the Pinelands of western Atlantic County for months has now found a home at a farm in Woodbine, N.J.

David Milligan originally wanted to make money by raising the flightless, ostrich-like Australian birds. He started an emu ranch in 1996.

But when the health craze for emu meat turned out to be a bust, Milligan found himself eating the birds himself, even though he really doesn't like the meat, which he said tastes like a cross between beef and liver.

"That's all I eat," Milligan told The Press of Atlantic City. "No beef, no chicken."

Milligan's story isn't unusual among South Jersey farmers, some of whom have resorted to releasing the birds, which eat expensive feed and bring little in return.

John Hill, who runs Tri-County Animal Rescue, estimates that there are at least a dozen feral emus on the loose in the green Pinelands of southern New Jersey. The young are unable to survive cold winters, but the adults do perfectly well.

"They wind up in somebody's back yard," Hill said. "It's like something that escaped from Jurassic Park."

The new bird made news last week when it foiled an attempted capture by Hamilton Township police. Animal control workers from Tri-County Animal Rescue finally cornered the bird Friday morning in a yard in Upper Township, and a veterinarian sedated it with a tranquilizer dart.

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Author: NBC10