Second emu is on the loose in Doncaster

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SECOND emu is on the loose in Doncaster days after 6ft bird called Ethel who spent six days evading police and RSPCA was captured near primary school

  • A second emu has been spotted on the run just days after Ethel was recaptured
  • Ethel, belonging to  Kerry Dobson, went wondering for almost an entire week
  • This emu ‘does not belong to Ms Dobson’ and police say it has not been reported

By Jordan King For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

A second emu has been spotted on the loose near Doncaster just days after another bird was captured following six days on the run.

Residents in Sprotbrough, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, shared pictures and videos of the large bird wandering around fields near the A1. 

Ethel, belonging to owner Kerry Dobson, was the first to go wondering around for nearly a whole week before she was taken home. 

Friends of Ms Dobson posted that this second emu does not belong to Ms Dobson, who reported Ethel’s disappearance to the RSPCA and the police.  

Fresh sightings of a second emu were posted on Facebook in exactly the same area that Ethel was spotted

Ethel went wondering around for almost a week before she was found near a primary school on Monday night

Ethel went wondering around for almost a week before she was found near a primary school on Monday night

‘Just texted Kerry and it’s not hers as it’s at home she said to put a bucket of water down for it,’ a post on the Sprotbrough Hub Community Group page said. 

Locals are worried that emus left to roam around could cause an accident, especially given that the second bird is so close to the A1.      

Police said a second getaway had not been reported to them. 

Jane Davies said: ‘If you can’t keep them in a secure enclosure then you shouldn’t keep them.

‘This is getting ridiculous.’  

Ethel had made quite the trip after she was accidentally let out of her enclosure by builders. 

She went from the Newlands Park through to the Trans Pennine Trail near Cosworth before she headed 10 miles east to Dunscroft. 

The Facebook group ‘Our Sprotbrough’ showed tons of posts from people who had seen her  until she was eventually found near a primary school on Monday night.

The RSPCA believe it’s highly unlikely that there are any wild emus in Britain so the second bird is probably an escaped pet as well. 

Emus can run at speeds of up to 30mph and are usually found in hot climates such as Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, the Solomon Islands and the Philippines.   

Fast females: Emus’ quick and nasty mating habits

Emus are among the largest birds in the world. Primarily found in Australia, the species is also found in New Guinea, Indonesia, the Solomon Islands and the Philippines. 

They are members of the ratite family, which also includes ostriches, cassowaries, and rheas.

Emus’ gray-to-brown feathers help protect them solar radiation so they can survive in hot climates. 

They also live in grasslands, savannas, and forests, preferring areas with access to water.

These omnivores mate and nest over the Australian winter. Females have been known to fight viciously over unpaired males and mating pairs stay together for up to five months.

The male incubates the egg while the female often takes off to find another mating partner within the season. 

 Source: National Geographic