Following the capture of Eddie the emu earlier this week, a co-conspirator emu named Blue remains at large. Police are warning the public to not approach the animals and contact authorities if spotted. Local resident Amanda Tuttle shared images of the suspect fugitive bird online. (Photo by Amanda Tuttle)

NORWICH – One suspect is in custody. One is still on the run.

After a six-foot emu led Norwich police on a cold-weather chase through city streets and into a livestock trailer, officers can officially close only half the case. “Eddie,” the emu was nabbed in a South Broad Street backyard Tuesday night and is now off the streets and out of the weather.

Her alleged accomplice, a second emu known by the street name “Blue,” remains at large.

Norwich Police Chief Scott Burlison said loose emus were not a joking matter and there was a real potential threat to public safety, especially in the city. He recommended contacting your local animal control officer or police if you see one.

He advised residents to, “Keep away from it. They’ve got claws and talons, they fight like a kangaroo. If threatened it will fight back, it will stomp you, if it gets you on the ground it will stomp you,” he said.

“We can’t have an animal like that running loose in the city,” it causes safety concerns for motorists and residents. “We don’t want one running around a public park,” he said.

Eddie the emu, now confirmed to be a female, was cornered by police in a fenced yard on Francis Avenue after officers followed tracks from the newly renovated South Broad Street Park.

During the multi-hour pursuit Norwich officers deployed a riot shield and persistence to corner Eddie on Francis Ave. A stand-off with law enforcement then ensued.

When police were able to reach the bird’s new owner, Eric Simonds, he launched into action, quickly securing a U-Haul trailer and traveling to the city.

“Chaos,” Simonds said of the capture, describing officers trying to block the bird’s escape while sheltering residents filmed the encounters through windows as the 100-pound plus animal ricocheted around the yards.

“The police, they were helpful to an extent, but they were more scared of the emu than anything. The one officer was standing there with a riot shield,” said Simonds.

Officers tried to prevent the emu from fleeing in certain directions but ended up fleeing from the bird if it got too close. “Once the emu started running towards them, they kind of ran the other way,” Simonds said.

He doesn’t blame them; emus can be very intimidating when cornered. Emus, he warned, are not overgrown chickens.

He explained emu will growl or thump, run between 30 and 40 miles-per-hour, jump six feet into the air and throw a powerful forward kick. A charging emu, he said, can blast through “five or six people standing there” like a football running back, and anyone who gets kicked will “definitely know it.”

“They’re usually calm, but like any animal, they will defend themselves if scared,” he said.

They’re also, in his words, “not the smartest animal,” which makes them both comical and difficult to catch.

Eddie wasn’t always his problem.

The runaway emus were originally kept by a Plymouth owner on Inman Road, who housed four birds in a fenced yard and small shelter. That changed one fall night when a storm ripped a roofing panel off the shelter. The crash spooked the flock, and all four panicked emus cleared a six-foot fence to make their escape.

Two returned and gave themselves up, but two other birds, now known to authorities as Eddie and Blue, “took off on their voyages and have been terrorizing Norwich for the last couple months,” Simonds said, adding, “They’re escapees.” “It’s virtually impossible,” to catch one unless it’s cornered or wanders into a confined space. The Norwich capture, he admitted, was mostly luck.

Chenango County Sheriff Ernest Cutting said his deputies had taken several calls from concerned residents in recent weeks about the fugitive emus.

“You know, this isn't the first time,” said Cutting, explaining escaped emu cases have happened before. “Over the years, we've had several calls on animals that have gotten away,” he said, including the occasional emu. “I think that it sparks interest and we're getting to that time of year where it gets colder. But you know, those animals, they can handle the weather. They're pretty versatile,” he said.

Following Eddie’s capture earlier this week, the fugitive emu Blue was spotted the following day, seemingly taunting authorities, by local resident Amanda Tuttle, who shared pictures of her encounter. Her daughter Kaitlin expressed concerns the bird might cause a vehicle accident if not subdued.

When the original owner struggled to catch the emus, Simonds said he struck a deal: he would purchase the loose birds, take responsibility for getting them off the streets and relocate them to his property near Bainbridge.

“I’ve been looking to get a couple,” he said, adding he grew up and worked on farms most of his life and has wanted emus since visiting another owner years ago.

Now he has them - almost.

Eddie is currently being held in a small shed for the winter to keep her warm and dry. Come spring, she’ll be moved into a larger fenced enclosure, with plans for an 8 to 10 foot fence, “so this situation doesn’t happen again,” he said.

The fate of one of the escaped birds may end up being a capital offense, when captured one of them is likely to end up on the dinner table.

Some emu owners may keep them as pets but they are more often bred for their meat and eggs.

One bird, he said, will likely end up processed for meat, describing emu as a lean, delicious, red meat, “more like beef than poultry.” The other emu will be kept as a companion animal. For now, he’s keeping an open mind about which one gets which fate. He said it will come down to practical considerations, like the animals’ temperament, which may not bode well for Blue the longer she remains at large. He said it was not impossible both animals would be spared.

“That is what people raise them for,” said Chief Burlison. “There was a store locally that had emu jerky, that’s why it is not regulated, it is like any other livestock and raised for meat, like beef.”

When pressed the chief admitted, “I might try it.”

However, the sheriff was more reserved, saying politically he wasn’t sure that would be a wise move with animal-loving voters.

“I've never had emu. I'm trying to think if I've ever heard of people eating it, I think I've heard of eating ostrich eggs.” He added he would likely not try it. “No, I can honestly say I've never had ostrich or emu. But that's apparently what they're for. That'd be one heck of a turkey dinner, wouldn't it?”

If you spot Blue you can reach Simonds on Facebook or by calling Simond’s business number. He said he will do his best to respond if possible. He runs a small business called “Jack of All Trades” in Bainbridge that works to do mobile auto repairs, home repairs, landscaping and clean-outs for area customers. He also raises several kinds of livestock and can be contacted at (607) 437-8976.

Law enforcement is also in contact with Simonds and he thanked the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office and Norwich police for their assistance.