MUKILTEO — An emu on the loose in Mukilteo was corralled Saturday morning and returned to its home.
The female bird named Sarah had been on the run since Wednesday after escaping from AJ’s Acre, a farm near Alexander Road and the Mukilteo Speedway.
Emus are flightless but can run up to 30 mph. Fortunately, this bird didn’t stray far from home.
Owner John Pendergraft said that a neighbor noticed the emu and within hours the bird was captured.
“It makes me feel really good that she is coming home,” he said.
Sarah is the only female emu at AJ’s Acre. Two other emus that escaped Wednesday with Sarah were recovered safely that day.
Pendergraft said someone opened a gate on the 1.5-acre farm, allowing the emus to run free. He thanked everyone who joined in the search to help find Sarah.
In 2011, an emu named Curious George escaped from a farm on Ebey Island and wandered onto the U.S. 2 trestle. The large bird was struck by a car and died before help could arrive.
Other exotic animals have run wild in Snohomish County.
Last year, an eight-week-old red kangaroo went on a seven-hour escapade in Monroe.
In 2015, two pet wallabies went missing over the course of three months in Arlington.
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