Lizzy lived in the same enclosure with a couple of kangaroos, and everything seemed to be normal, save for the loss of Lizzy's feathers. The poor bird was getting sunburnt during the day and cold at night. On top of that, the replacement feathers were growing back like painful in-grown hairs. (As an aside, look at that pathetic wing and see why these birds are flightless).
But then one day, Michaela saw her sweet and harmless kangaroo Leah pluck a feather from Lizzy's body and eat it. It was then that Michaela realized that despite all of the feathers lost, not a single one was on the ground. They were probably all in Leah the Kangaroo's belly. The feather stealing must have been happening at night.
But this tale of loss and woe ends well. Michaela separated the emu from the kangaroos, and she has since grown back all of her feathers. She now has free access to Michaela's 10,000 acre property.
Let this be a word to the wise: if your emu ever starts going bald, look to your kangaroos first.
Thanks for the photos, Michaela. I'm glad Lizzy is in full plumage once again.
So happy emu's feathers are back! I love emus!
ReplyDeleteEmo Emu
ReplyDeleteSee, I would have just assumed the Emu was reverting back to a Velociraptor. Never trust a naked Emu.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the kangaroo thought about losing its snack!!
ReplyDeleteWow, this EXACT thing is happening with my emus. Have two, male and female. The goat has been grazing on them at night. They just sit. Unfortunately, it is bitter cold, so they all want to hang together. I've had to ad more shelters and seperate them. The female, who is missing about 50 of her feathers is wearing a jacket sleeve on her neck to keep warm. Nothing I can do to keep her body warm besides shelter. Wow, goats and kangaroos. Who'd have thought?
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