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
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