Running emu gets feathers ruffled

DOYLESTOWN TWP., Pa. - March 11, 2008 -- An emu on the run overnight has been recaptured in Doylestown Township, Bucks County and returned to the emu farm where it lives on Old Limekiln Pike.

The emu was netted at around 10:45 a.m. Tuesday at Oakleaf Lane and Sandy Ridge Road. A homeowner reported the emu to police have she spotted the large ostrich-like bird lying down in her backyard.

The emu escaped sometime early Monday afternoon. The owner of the farm, Dr. Leigh Hopkins, told police the big bird probably jumped a fence or snuck out somehow. The farm is raising about 50 emus. According to Doylestown Township Police Chief Stephen White the large feathered creatures can run even faster than horses.

The fugitive emu was spotted at least twice since Monday, but somehow managed to elude authorities. The Pennsylvania Game Commission, Doylestown Township Police, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals all participated in the capture of the bird.

An online search shows that Dr. Leigh Hopkins, the emu's owner, is a pharmacist and skin care specialist who is called upon to speak and write on the benefits of emu oil for the treatment of such maladies as carpal tunnel syndrome.

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bizarre bazaar, sarah bloomquist

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