When Australia went to war on emus
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (342448)
Rockingham, Australia
December 10, 2022 9:56pm CST
A new feature film starring English comedian John Cleese will tell the story of the time the Australian Army took on the emu and lost. During the Great Depression of the early 1930s, migrating emus were wreaking havoc to farmers’ crops in Western Australia.
Emus do more damage from the crops they trample and flatten than from what they eat. The situation was so bad that farmers called on the Federal government for assistance. Eventually, three soldiers were sent to shoot the emus but only 20 were killed on the first day. After six days, 2,500 rounds of ammunition had been used but only between 300 and 500 emus had been killed.
A second attempt a month or so later was slightly more successful but the experiment was given up as a lost cause. An extension of a barrier fence and an emu bounty system were also employed. Even today, emus are still a menace in areas where grain crops are grown.
You can read the full story here: Australia's Emu War spawns feature film, jokes and memes 90 years on - ABC News
The photo is mine of an emu we saw at the caravan park in Ireland.
30 people like this
31 responses
@wolfgirl569 (108649)
• Marion, Ohio
11 Dec 22
They are a bigger bird. You would think they would be easier to shoot
5 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (108649)
• Marion, Ohio
12 Dec 22
@JudyEv But people shoot turkeys all the time.
4 people like this
@TheHorse (220625)
• Walnut Creek, California
12 Dec 22
@wolfgirl569 Not our suburban turkeys--maybe that's why they're here!
3 people like this
@rsa101 (38166)
• Philippines
11 Dec 22
I guess they are just there to exercise their right to be there and we human settlers are the ones that pushed them out of their territory. I hope they could devise something that would not really hurt them to stop them from infesting the farmers.
5 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (47761)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
11 Dec 22
I've heard they're "good eating" but not if they're riddled with bullets, I guess.
4 people like this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16800)
• China
11 Dec 22
The emus finally survived it ! Emus probably live in there longer than human beings.
4 people like this
@Namelesss (3365)
• United States
11 Dec 22
LOL In retrospect that 's funny although I'm sure during the great depression no one thought so. It's a wonder there are any (that I know of) recipes for Roasted Emu from that era.
4 people like this
@Namelesss (3365)
• United States
12 Dec 22
@JudyEv Oh wow, I really had wondered about that but never saw mention of it. Sounds a bit like turkey.
3 people like this
@Chellezhere (5749)
• United States
11 Dec 22
I didn't know about this, and my New Zealander uncle was a journalist who lived and worked in Australia for a time.
4 people like this
@Chellezhere (5749)
• United States
12 Dec 22
@JudyEv he was born in 1944, and had older parents go to Russia so I would think they might’ve known something about it.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (161080)
• United States
11 Dec 22
Lots of pharmaceutical companies seem to want emu oil for their muscle rubs and moisturizers. You would think they would join the hunt as well. I like emus, but I do not have to compete with them for my livelihood.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (342448)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Dec 22
What would you suggest? I'm not trying to be rude but what other ways could you use? Eventually they tried to erect a fence but the emus just walked over the top of it. It was too expensive to erect a high fence and it would have had to go for miles and miles to keep the emus out.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (90573)
• Arvada, Colorado
11 Dec 22
John Cleese will tell the story right
An emu in Ireland? Well I never.
An emu in Ireland? Well I never.3 people like this
@RebeccasFarm (90573)
• Arvada, Colorado
12 Dec 22
@JudyEv He has has he? Guess I missed those.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342448)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Dec 22
There must be quite a few in the US too. @Deepizzaguy has written quite a few posts about stray emus being found and returned to their owners.
4 people like this
@LindaOHio (182533)
• United States
11 Dec 22
I'm sorry that emus are such a problem. I don't like hearing about culling any animal. Hope you have a good day.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (342448)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Dec 22
@LindaOHio When a foreign creature is introduced and the place is to their liking they multiply rapidly as they have no natural predators in their new environment.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (182533)
• United States
12 Dec 22
@JudyEv Florida is having a problem with iguanas and pythons. They were introduced to the state; and now they are killing as many as they can find.
1 person likes this
@Treborika (17853)
• Mombasa, Kenya
11 Dec 22
Thanks for sharing. I am very glad for that
3 people like this
@ptrikha_2 (47112)
• India
11 Dec 22
Well, the animal - human conflict is something that has been there since centuries.
With many animals extinct or endangered, one might think that animals always suffer.
However, there are many cases of people, especially Farmers, Tribals or villagers suffering due to them.
There are no easy solutions at times.
Electric Fencing can help like the way I saw at a Hotel that we stayed during our trip to a Wildlife reserve a few years back.
The issue with that is that certain animals could get electrocuted by the Electricity.
The Emu in Ireland must be an import from Australia.
3 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (50702)
• United States
12 Dec 22
I didn’t know that they were such a problem.
3 people like this
@RasmaSandra (81006)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
11 Dec 22
They sure are big birds, I am sorry they cause so much trouble, I hope something can be done about the emus,
3 people like this
@Deepizzaguy (104538)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
11 Dec 22
I did not know about the government's battle with Emus during the Great Depression in your homeland.
3 people like this
@Deepizzaguy (104538)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
12 Dec 22
@JudyEv Thanks for the reply.
1 person likes this
