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Emu Found Wandering Along Phoenix Interstate

Last year, it was llamas on the loose in the Phoenix area; this year, an emu hit the streets

State troopers say an emu crossed a Phoenix road, got to the other side and narrowly avoided getting hurt.

Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Quentin Mehr says the agency received reports Friday around 10 a.m. that an emu was on the loose on Interstate 10.

According to Mehr, a responding trooper found the bird in the median.

The emu then crossed the interstate and ended up on the dirt shoulder.

Mehr says a second trooper showed up and both officers drove alongside the animal to keep it from entering traffic lanes.

An officer from the Arizona Department of Agriculture arrived and used a lasso to wrangle the emu into a trailer.

Authorities say it is still unclear how the emu came into the area.

It isn't the first rare animal to get loose in the Phoenix area. Last year, two speedy llamas that escaped a local retirement community led authorities on a long, mesmerizing chase, briefly bringing the internet to a screeching halt as people watched the drama unfold in real time.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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