Abandoned emu finds hope under the wing of chicken foster mum
A beloved emu at Birdworld is celebrating her unique adoption story – having been raised by a little chicken named Nugget.
Four-year-old Shrub, the youngest emu at the popular Surrey attraction, was abandoned by her parents, Forest and Mathilda, who themselves had a difficult start in life.
When keepers discovered that Mathilda had successfully hatched an egg, they were dismayed to find neither parent willing to take on the role of caregiver. However, what they thought was the lifeless 500g body of an emu chick (the weight of a loaf of bread), covered in mud, flies, and being pulled from the nest by crows, turned out to be Shrub – a survivor against the odds.
“Having initially been raised in a dimly lit barn before coming to Birdworld, Shrub’s father, Forest, had developed limited eyesight and a unique way of walking, learning to navigate by leading with the back of his head instead of his feet,” explains Polly Bramham, Living Collections Manager at Birdworld.
“Unlike most birds, emu males incubate eggs, and they are typically winter breeders. However, Shrub’s mother, Mathilda, laid eggs in the summer, and Forest didn’t seem to be incubating them. We didn’t expect the eggs to hatch and were surprised when they found Shrub cold, muddy, and neglected in the nest. She was rushed to an ICU, warmed up, and fortunately turned out to be a resilient survivor, much like her father.”
Following her rescue and recovery, Shrub needed some expert training on how to become an emu.
Polly continued: “The job fell to Nugget, a small Bantam Hen who lived at Birdworld.
“Nugget took Shrub under her wing, teaching her essential life skills such as eating and walking. She was the best foster Shrub could hope for – busy, bossy, and showing her lots of fuss and care. Shrub quickly learnt how to pick up food, drink, and coordinate her gangly legs. The keepers loved watching the two of them together.”
However, after just a few weeks, Shrub had quickly outgrown her new foster mother, and so the keepers took over Shrub’s development, playing enrichment games and activities to help develop her coordination and build essential muscle.
“In time, we knew the moment had come to start reconnecting Shrub with her parents,” said Polly. “However, emus can be very reactive and defensive, and to let Shrub in with Forest and Mathilda would have been fatal.”
To combat this obstacle, Birdworld’s keepers would walk Shrub outside Forest and Mathilda’s enclosure, letting the now 3 foot tall Shrub interact with her birth parents from outside the safety of the fence.
Polly said: “It was particularly important to do this while Shrub was still a juvenile, so that Forest and Mathilda would not see her as a threat. We found Shrub to be a very happy-go-lucky emu, frequently misjudging social etiquette and getting disciplined as a result. Emus are extremely large and potentially dangerous birds with strong kicking legs, meaning that Shrub would continue to be separated from the adults at night for the next couple of months as she learnt the rules of emu life.”
Today, Shrub now lives full-time with her parents, having started her life facing adversity but finding hope under the wing of her caring foster mother, Nugget.
“Seeing Shrub with her parents as they race around their paddock, you would never guess their difficult beginnings. Shrub is an amazing lady, and the keepers are so proud that she has no confusion about who she is. She is 100% emu, but with all the time in the world for her keepers.”
For media enquiries please email Natalie natalie@carswellgould.co.uk
More from the Birdworld News Room
Ken, the world’s “pinkest” pink flamingo
Ken, the world’s “pinkest” pink flamingo, makes dazzling debut at Birdworld There’s a new bird in town, who has made a grand entrance among Birdworld’s feathered residents. Ken the flamingo is a life-size model painted in the “world’s pinkest pink,” the striking shade made famous by British artist Stuart Semple, creator of Black 2.0, the…
Plucky penguin becomes a “guide-bird” for his cataract stricken friend
Plucky penguin becomes a “guide-bird” for his cataract stricken friend A three-year-old Penguin from Surrey has taken on the role of ‘guide-bird’ for a cataract-afflicted companion, creating an extraordinary friendship. ‘Penguin,’ a hand-reared African Penguin from Birdworld-the largest bird park in the UK-swiftly bonded with ‘Squid,’ a fellow three-year-old African penguin who had developed cataracts-a…
Love is in the air at Birdworld
Love is in the air at Birdworld Guests can continue to receive a 25% discount on all admission rates when they book their tickets online this half term. Birdworld is one of the few places in the world where you can see some of the world’s rarest birds. Birdworld houses over 150 different species, 40%…
We’re making plans to reopen
We are planning to reopen on Monday 12th April*, following the recent government announcements. Tickets will be available for online book from Monday 5th April. Pre-booking is essential. Please note will be restricting visitor numbers during this period as part of our Covid measures, so if the date you want is not available please consider…
Birdworld’s Conservation Fund responds to overseas crisis to save over 1,200 endangered birds
Birdworld in Farnham has donated £2,000 to an emergency wildlife response mission to save more than 1,200 surviving Cape cormorant chicks out of an estimated 1,700 birds that were abandoned in South Africa. Earlier this month, the surviving endangered chicks were successfully rescued from Robben Island and Jutten Island (two islands off the west coast…
Permanent closure of Underwater World at Birdworld
All 1,700 aquatic animals at Birdworld in Farnham have safely been rehomed after the permanent closure of Underwater World at the Surrey-based attraction. Due to the financial impact of COVID-19, as well as the inability to social distance within the building, Underwater World at Birdworld will not re-open to the public. The decision has been…
- « Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Next »