Two more animals are on the loose in South Carolina as the state continues to search for them fugitive monkey Who escaped from a medical research facility in Beaufort County. But this time, two emus named Thelma and Louise escaped after making the nearly three-hour drive north.
Horry County Police Department “We are not emu-said,” Wednesday wrote about the large missing birds.
“The department is aware of the reported emu and have contacted the owner. We are working to assist the owner in an effort to locate and capture the animals,” the Facebook post said. “There is no threat to the community involving the emu at this time.”
Asked by CBS News Friday morning, police said they had no update on the missing birds and that any additional information would be posted online.
The birds' owner, Sam Moraes, told CBS News on Friday that the emus are named Thelma and Louise and have not yet been caught. “When we were trying to catch one of them and move it to another enclosure they decided they wanted to climb the fence and they didn't like that,” he said in a message. “So she's living a wild life, well they both are.”
Moraes Posted in a community group It was said on Tuesday that the birds had opened three months ago.
Moraes wrote, “They are wild and not as trained as the ones we have at home.” “Local law enforcement is already at my house, trying to get a tranquilizer approved so we can bring them home. Thanks for all the concerns and questions. But if emu were that easy to catch they would already be Would have been at home.”
The large, flightless creatures are the second largest living birds, with an average height of more than 5 1/2 feet. Females, like the one that escaped in South Carolina, can weigh more than 130 pounds. These animals are not native to the United States and only live naturally in Australia.
Moraes' Facebook post garnered a lot of attention from community members, with one person suggesting that herding dogs could help. But Moraes said one of the emus was first attacked by three wild dogs and before they could kill it, the bird managed to kill them.
“If your dogs try to attack her and attack her she will retaliate. But she will not suddenly go near anyone or any animal,” Moraes said. ,
Some members of the community said they had seen the bird.
“I was so shocked and so was the wife,” one person commented. “Is that an emu next to the fire station? I turned around to take a picture and it was already gone!”
The news of the runaway emu comes days after another group of animals escaped – 43 monkeysThey left the site after a caretaker failed to secure the gate of their enclosure. thirty-two rhesus macaque primates was repossessed After breaking out of the Alpha Genesis research facility in Yemassee.