Runaway emu will find new home in Hong Kong if owner not identified, government says

Wildlife officials will arrange the adoption of a captured runaway emu this weekend if its owner cannot be identified, the Hong Kong government said.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation revealed the plan on Monday evening after a farm near where the bird was spotted at Tin Shui Wai said none of its animals 'had disappeared.

The department also said the emu was under observation at one of its animal management centers.

“If ultimately the animal is not claimed, the department will attempt to arrange for its transfer to an animal welfare organization for adoption if the animal is healthy and suitable for adoption, as assessed by the veterinarians in the department,” a spokesperson said.

The emu – a large flightless bird native to Australia – attracted attention after it was spotted running along roads and entering a housing estate on Saturday.

Officers from the police and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals captured the bird about three hours after reports of the first sighting Saturday morning.

Chan Ka-fai, owner of the NT Green Garden farm near where the bird was spotted and who is a Yuen Long district councillor, told the Post on Sunday evening that he was out of town but he had been informed that “nothing was missing” from his home. garden.

A source said Green Garden, also known as Hing Chun Farm, reported the loss of an emu in April, but it was later found.

It is understood that a department inspection in April found that the 60,000 square foot farm was privately owned and was not open to the public for an entry fee, which exempted it from licensing requirements exhibition.

The department said no emus had been authorized to be kept under existing exhibition permits it had issued.