Escaped emu remains loose after wandering onto Mäntyharju road

A 32-year-old emu named Herra Hoo escaped from its enclosure at Kuvala farm in the Kukonkorpi village of Mäntyharju on Saturday and has still not been caught, Yle reports.

The bird was seen near the farm and startled several people, but its owners say it poses no threat. Herra Hoo weighs about 45 kilograms and stands around 150 centimetres tall. Emus can run at speeds of 50 to 60 kilometres per hour.

The emu escaped by jumping over an enclosure about two metres high. The farm’s owners do not know what prompted it to leave.

Tapio Hämäläinen encountered Herra Hoo on a side road a few kilometres from the farm. He was driving past when he noticed something unusual and reversed to take a closer look.

“I drove past and thought, what on earth is that?” Hämäläinen said. He recorded the encounter on video.

Farm owners Heidi and Janne Haajanen hope the emu will return on its own. They are asking people to report sightings and not to chase the bird. If it appears in a cottage yard, they suggest feeding it toast and contacting the farm.

Herra Hoo may have headed towards Repovesi National Park, although no organised search or capture operation has been launched. The owners say chasing it would likely be futile because of its speed.

Emus are the world’s second-largest bird species after ostriches. They can weigh up to 60 kilograms and generally live for little more than 30 years. Emu and ostrich farming was expanded in Finland during the 1990s and early 2000s, but the industry did not become widespread.