Australian emu escapes into the wild in Northern Russia

An ostrich farm in the village of Pazhga in the Komi Republic, became famous in Russia due to its runaway Australian emu named Vasya (a short for Vasily).

On the night of October 26, the bird escaped from its enclosure and ran into the  forest. Dozens of volunteers and hunters were trying to bring Vasya back home for five days. The news of his escape into the wild made national headlines. 

During these days, the emu was running about the forest avoiding all traps and tricks that the volunteers could come up with. The bird would walk away from nets, and it was impossible to attract him with food - the emu can do away without food for up to 40 days.

It was not easy to catch the ostrich. The bird can develop the speed of up to 50 kilometers per hour. It appeared that Vasya found a new home in Komi's northern forests. 

On October, the emu finally stepped out of the woods amid very windy and cold weather. One of the hunters managed to lasso the emu. 

About 15 people, including students from the local university, took part in the operation to capture the Australian bird. Vasya was given a sedative, and he finally returned home to his two relatives.

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The emu is a species of flightless bird endemic to Australia, where it is the tallest native bird. It is the only extant member of the genus Dromaius and the third-tallest living bird after its African ratite relatives, the common ostrich and Somali ostrich. The emu's native ranges cover most of the Australian mainland. The Tasmanian, Kangaroo Island and King Island subspecies became extinct after the European settlement of Australia in 1788.