Emu

Overview

In 1932, the Australian government deployed soldiers with machine guns to cull emus damaging Western Australian wheat farms. The emus won. The 'Great Emu War' ended with the military withdrawing after failing to significantly reduce the population despite thousands of rounds fired. Emus are large, tough, fast, and structurally very hard to stop — their loose feathers and fat deposits absorb projectile energy that would fell most animals. They also cannot fly but can run at 50 km/h and kick with a force that can shred fence wire.

Fascinating facts

• 1

  During the 1932 Emu War, Major G.P.W. Meredith reported that emus could absorb machine gun bursts and keep running — their loose body feathers and thick skin acted as natural armour. The military withdrew twice. The emus were still there.

• 2

  Emus cannot fly. Their wings are vestigial — roughly 20 cm long and completely hidden under their body feathers. They serve no known flight function and are used only occasionally in temperature regulation.

• 3

  Like ostriches, emu males do all parental work — the female lays the eggs and leaves. The male incubates them for 56 days without eating, losing up to a third of his body weight.

• 4

  Emu eggs are deep emerald green, almost black, and can weigh up to 900 g each — roughly 10–15 times the weight of a chicken egg.

• 5

  Emus are one of only a few birds capable of moving both forward and backward — most birds are physically unable to walk backwards. The adaptation is relevant to navigating dense vegetation.

Myth vs. Reality