Georgia Drivers Gawk at Runaway Emu

Authorities in east Georgia are seeking the owner of a wandering emu that made drivers gawk and clogged traffic on Interstate 20 before it was finally caught.

The three-toed emu _ a flightless bird _ was spotted by numerous motorists on Wednesday after it appeared in the highway median between the Thomson and Camak exits, said Law Enforcement Capt. Larry Barnard of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

"The biggest concern was the threat to motorists," he said. "Since an emu is technically livestock it doesn't normally fall under our jurisdiction."

Columbia County animal control officers helped capture the bird, said Pam Tucker, director of the county's Emergency Services Department.

"They surrounded it in the median _ with a lot of caution because emus will hurt you," she said. "One of the animal control officers grabbed its legs and another grabbed the upper body and another put a covering over its head and they loaded into the truck. It kicked so hard in the truck that the latch on the truck broke."

Tucker said Thursday that a man from Wilkes County said he was coming to see if the emu was his, but he had not arrived.

"We're hopeful," she said. "Emus are a difficult animal. After four more days, we will put him up for adoption."

Emus are native to Australia and are the planet's second-largest bird, behind the ostrich. They are sometimes raised as livestock.

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Information from: The Augusta Chronicle, http://www.augustachronicle.com