An exotic bird was returned to owner in SC after Columbia police chase
If you happen to see a giant bird on your morning commute, its owner probably wants it back.
A video circulating social media, posted to TikTok on July 4, shows a Columbia Police Department vehicle in hot pursuit of a large bird on Bush River Road. It was confirmed to be an emu by the state Department of Natural Resources.
Emus are large, flightless birds that can reach up to 31 mph on their two legs, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. The Australian natives are the second-largest living birds, with an average height of 5.7 feet.
Columbia police trailed the bird and then called in the Department of Natural Resources to handle the incident. No incident report was filed, police spokesperson Jennifer Timmons said.
A law enforcement officer for the Department of Natural Resources responded to assist, but “they ultimately ended up leaving the scene” after a failed capture attempt “because the emu is/was considered a domestic animal,” spokesperson Erin Weeks said.
While it was initially unclear if DNR was able to reach the emu’s owner, Weeks provided an update, saying that an officer spoke to the owner over the phone and relayed its location. The owner was able to capture the bird afterward. No reports were filed because the emu was not considered a game animal.
Police said they were initially told the emu escaped from a private residence in Richland County.
The last reported sightings of loose emus in South Carolina were last year, when two emus, nicknamed “Thelma and Louise” by locals, escaped their owner in Horry County. One of the two was captured and returned in November, according to WRDW.
This story was originally published July 9, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
