Cops lasso escaped emu after neighborhood chase

Police in Scottsdale, Arizona, had their work cut out Tuesday morning stopping a feathered fugitive from strutting around like it had legal emu-nity.

Officers responding to calls of an escaped emu ruffling residents’ feathers managed to track the big bird down – as luck would have it – to Roadrunner Drive.

A short chase ensued but the plumed punk proved no long-term match for human wiles.

Cops and local residents combined to lure the animal close with some bird feed before capturing it with a lasso.

“As he was sitting there eating, they come in with the lasso and get it over him. They get both sides to be able to lasso him. He stood right up and they walked him out and right into the trailer,” Sgt. Matt Pearson told Fox 10 Phoenix.

The would-be yardbird is currently being housed at a police station while officers attempt to track down its owner.

Arizona is no stranger to lost emus. In May, the Arizona Department of Transportation found one wandering near a highway.

Last year, Phoenix police responded to “a large bird loose in the area,” wrangling and returning an emu to its owner in Scottsdale, the Arizona Republic reported.

Emus have become increasingly popular as pets thanks to their gentle nature and lack of flight. But, with a top running speed of around 30 mph, escaped ones are not easy to catch.