Wayward Emu Spotted Running Through New Jersey City, Captured

A wayward emu found running through the streets of a northern New Jersey city was captured and taken to an animal shelter.

Animal control officers reached the spot Tuesday morning after a woman spotted the flightless bird near the Paterson-Totowa border. It was snared and was taken to an animal shelter in Paterson, where it was being examined by a veterinarian.

The long-legged bird, at nearly 4 feet (1.2 meters), was placed in a large animal cart in order to be transported to the shelter. Authorities said they weren’t sure whether the bird had escaped from a farm or just running out in the wild, the Associated Press reported.

Local residents were perplexed by the sight of the large bird, with one woman referring to the bird as something “from outer space,” reported local outlet Northjersey.com.

"You don't see too many stuff like this in Paterson, New Jersey," John DeCando, chief animal control officer at Paterson Animal Control, told WABC-TV. "I mean, I've seen elephants running down the street. I've seen geese, I've seen just about everything, but an emu like this, the lady said 'it was like something from outer space' -- so was it hilarious, yes, but thank god nobody got hurt."

DeCando said the emu appeared healthy, but its age and sex were yet to be determined. “But I can tell you it needs a bath,” he said.

The emu will reportedly be transferred to Franklin Lakes Animal Hospital for further examination.

The emu is the second-largest bird living on this planet in terms of its height and is a relative of the Ostrich. A native to Australia, the emu is known to reach up to 6.2 feet in height. Emus can travel great distances, with a maximum sprinting speed of 31 mph.