In the footsteps, that I do not fly, of the recondite and primitive emu

Before the continents as we know them today were formed, the Earth had a very different look. About two hundred million years ago there was a supercontinent called Gondwana, which would end up disintegrating into parts, giving shape to Africa, Australia, South America and Antarctica. Until then, Africa and Australia were united. In fact, when I saw the first baobab trees in northwestern Australia, I had the feeling, for a moment, of being transported to the distant island of Madagascar.

And something similar happened to me when I also met for the first time a emu (‘Dromaius novaehollandiae’): a huge flightless bird very characteristic similar to the ostriches of Africa. At almost two meters tall, the emu is, behind its African relative, the second tallest bird in the world. But the emu is an endemic species of Oceania.

I was walking on one of the most amazing beaches I’ve ever seen: The Pinnaclesin it Nambung National Park, with hundreds of rock and sandstone formations concentrating in front of the Indian Ocean. The crystal blue, the moving waves, the warm tones of the sand and suddenly they appear in the middle of nowhere some gigantic birds of dark tones. They are a mother emu and two fully grown chickens. Its primitive appearance and disheveled plumage, like grayish dreadlocks, evoke some Jurassic Park characters. In the last millennium, there were still some species of emus scattered around the islands near Australia; for example, in Tasmania or Kangoroo Island. But They have been extinct for more than a century..

The emu is common throughout the Australian continent. It is a running bird, and has long, muscular legs, bare of all feathers. In fact, they are the only birds with calf muscles, which makes them good runners: They manage to maintain average speeds of up to 15 km/h for a long time. time to flee from their predators. I see them run and I observe how they make very sudden turns; it seems that they are haggling with each other in a soccer game without a ball. Another amazing thing is the stride they have when they run: sometimes it exceeds three meters. It is impressive to see them in action! For a moment I think I see them fly without wings.

A few years later, I have another meeting with them in South Australia, in the Flinders Range, in a semi-desert savannah landscape typical of the south of the island. Evening falls and an apocalyptic twilight paints the clouds with orange and reddish colors. Among the low grass, I see the unmistakable woolly silhouette of an emu. She walks slowly; even so, the steps she takes with her long legs exceed two meters. No wonder those strong, muscular limbs also serve him well. defend themselves from their predators by kicking.

emus have a very large beak that allows them to feed at ground level. Above all, they eat seeds, grass and fruits, but also insects, small reptiles and amphibians and even animal droppings. Emus sometimes forage in crops. For this reason, they are often hunted and, in some areas of Australia, have been eliminated due to the damage they cause to agriculture. Other times, farmers put up very high fences so that the emus cannot access their crops.

The largest living being on the planet could disappear due to climate change

Jose Luis Gallego

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The main predator of emus is the dingo, an Australian wild dog, which primarily attacks chicks and preys on the nests by eating the eggs. There are also several birds of prey, such as the wedge tailed eaglewhich can hunt the youngest or most weakened emu specimens.

The females make their nest on the ground. where they lay between one and two dozen eggs. These eggs, which can be from several females, will be incubated by a male emu. While they are busy with this work, the males do not usually eat and live on the fat accumulated in the previous weeks. The eggs hatch a month and a half to two months later.

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