For the second time on a recent Tuesday, Kiersten Higgins conducted an emu head count, a new routine for Scott and Savannah Perekslis’ farm manager. “Since Edgar’s escape, I check on the emus several times a day,” she said. Edgar the Emu gained notoriety during his three-week ramble in the Ancramdale countryside last August. His breakout riveted the town: Vigilant local residents and two Stanfordville veterinarians helped capture Edgar and return him safely to his home near Wiltsie Bridge.
Credit: Judith Wolff
“Edgar had been away for so long, I thought he would need several days to re-acclimate,” Higgins recalled. “He recuperated in his trailer for just 24 hours. Edgar’s family welcomed him back as if nothing had happened.”
The 6-foot flightless bird and his mob (an emu flock) share the 420-acre farm with two pigs named Wilboar and Charlie, a small herd of cows (including 10 shaggy, long-horned Highlanders), goats, chickens and 14 ostriches. “Scott rescued the emus and ostriches from a New Jersey meat farm more than 10 years ago,” Savannah said. “Now they’ll never be killed—they’re part of our family.”
With his escape hatch repaired and reinforced, Edgar and seven kin spend the day foraging for bugs. They use the large, sharp talons on their three-toed feet to turn up the dirt. On the menu: crickets, ants, grasshoppers, millipedes and moth larvae. “The emus keep the pest population down and till the soil,” said Higgins. “It’s good for the land.” She supplements their diet with grain; Edgar eats out of her hand.
Courtesy of digital-classroom.nma.gov.au
The emus follow Savannah and her 15-month-old daughter, Scarlett, when they walk the fence line bordering their 75-acre enclosure; the birds share the paddock with several lowline black Angus, a hefty, short-legged breed. “The animals enjoy each other’s company,” said Savannah, adding, “The emus also commune with our family mastiff, Laga, whose partner recently died. Laga was really depressed until Edgar and his family befriended her. It’s changed her life.”
At 6 years old, Edgar is young by emu standards and can breed for half of his 30-year lifespan. He recently lost his 18-month-old daughter, Ursula, who lived in Higgins’ apartment after suffering a broken leg. “Ursula never fully recovered, so my parents transported her to Bellaview Farm Animal Sanctuary in North Carolina for further care—a 14-hour round trip,” Higgins said. Ursula died a few months later; she is survived by her older brother, Edgar Jr.
“There’s no better emu dad than Edgar,” Higgins said. “He never takes a break when he’s on his eggs, and it can take six weeks for them to hatch.” Male emus incubate a nestful of up to 15 large jade green eggs and may lose half their body weight in the process. “We spoiled Edgar,” she said. “We hand-fed him grain and brought him water while he sat on his nest. He still lost alot of weight, which he later regained.”
It’s hard to increase the mob. Many nest eggs are lost to weasels, who skillfully poke a hole in one end and suck out the contents. Other predators include skunks, snakes and foxes.
An unfertilized emu egg is good eating for humans, comparable to a meal of 12 chicken eggs. Savannah prefers selling them to artists: Emu egg carving is a centuries-old art form, popularized by Indigenous Australians. Higgins collects Edgar’s fallen feathers to create what she calls “Edgar art”—dream catchers and decorative pieces adorned with his soft beige plumage.
While Savannah and Higgins are confident that Edgar and his mob have no plans to decamp, there was a recent scare: Ancramdale Town Supervisor Art Bassin called the farm in October to report that another emu was on the loose. Higgins knew from her frequent head counts that it couldn’t be Edgar or one of his family. Further investigation by the town proved the “escaped emu” reported by an overzealous citizen was a great blue heron.
Watch and listen to the Emus here and see more pictures at the New Pine Plains Herald Facebook page.