ISP, Vermillion County officers work together to safely catch emu

Wednesday, August 14, 2024 at 8:59 PM

By Johnny McCrory

Law enforcement is often called upon to find someone or something that is missing. But it's not everyday that it's a large, flightless bird.

Vermillion County Dispatch had received several calls over a few days about an emu being loose near SR 63 and US 36. About 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, deputies located the emu.

The trick then became how to catch it.

According to the Vermillion County Sheriff's Department social media post ISP Trooper Tyler Turchi assisted with capturing the emu as officers worked together to come up with a plan to make the capture without harming it. A long dog lead was laid out with a loop to try to catch the emu by his leg because catching around the neck could harm it. Officers pushed the emu toward the lead and to everyone’s surprise it stepped right in it. The lead was snatched tight around the leg and the emu was eventually pinned to the ground.

A livestock trailer was brought out and the emu was safely reunited with its owners.