An emu and a man were seen wrestling in the middle of a rural road in Salcombe, Devon, before the giant bird headbutted the man and ran off. The enormous creature is believed to have broken free from its enclosure before being wrestled to the ground.
Footage captures the tussle
The extraordinary tussle was filmed by James Barker, 46, as he drove along a road on September 9. A man can be seen grappling with the exotic bird, struggling to keep it under control as the animal fights back.
The man can be heard shouting: "emu down, emu down!" - while an alpaca inside the farm's gates watches the entire spectacle unfold.
Bird headbutts captor and escapes
After a scuffle lasting at least 20 seconds, the bird headbutts its captor, sending him sprawling onto the road before darting back into the gated property it had escaped from.
James, who was in fits of laughter throughout the bizarre incident, said: "It's not something you see every day! I had to take video otherwise people wouldn't believe me. I saw the bird on the road, so I pulled up to let the guy get hold of it - but it was too funny not to try and film."
He added: "The alpaca stood in the gateway made the scene. It was evident the bird was not quite so keen to get back to his home! Nowadays with everything going on in the world, it's quite nice to see something that is a bit entertaining!"
Video goes viral
Ro Barker, James's wife, shared the video on social media, where it has racked up over two million views. One person commented: "You can't make that up, this has made my day." Another quipped: "Only in Salcombe!"
Last year, an emu dubbed "grumpy old man" and believed to have been the oldest in the world, died in the UK aged 44. Emma, a male emu, was brought to Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary and Wildlife Centre, Lincolnshire, from the Netherlands in 1980. Emma was two months away from turning 45. Emus only live, on average, between 25 and 28 years.
