California Highway Patrol captures flightless fugitive emu

FRESNO, Calif. — California authorities last week captured an emu after the flightless fugitive led officers down a highway.

The bird was apprehended the afternoon of Sept. 13 following a brief pursuit by California Highway Patrol officers.

Authorities say officers responded to a report that an ostrich was wandering along the right-hand shoulder of U.S. Highway 99 northwest of Fresno. Madera County Animal Services took the bird into custody uninjured.

Officers say they do not know whether the emu escaped a nearby farm or a moving vehicle.

Animal experts say the flightless native Australian birds can sprint at up to 30 mph and trot quickly for longer distances.

Emus are the second-largest birds in the world behind the ostrich.