HIGHLANDS COUNTY, Fla. — If snacks start disappearing from your Super Bowl party, double-check to make sure you don't have an uninvited guest at your home.
An emu is on the loose in the Tampa Bay area. Yes, you read that correctly.
The big bird was last seen running around some orange groves in Highlands County.
"Put this one high up on the list of posts we never thought we would make," the Highlands County Sheriff's Office wrote in a Facebook post asking for help finding the emu.
Deputies are asking you to keep your eyes peeled. The emu, whose name was not immediately released, was last spotted near Altvater Road and E. Bonnet Lake Road.
"Did you know emus are very fast?" the sheriff's office asked. "Definitely faster than us, anyway."
We at 10 Tampa Bay did not know how fast emus were. So, like good journalists, we checked.
Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute says emus can run up to 31 mph. They're also "strong swimmers," apparently. But, they do not fly.
Emus are the second-largest birds alive today, with the birds often standing around 5-foot-8. The Smithsonian says the males usually weigh 110-121 pounds, with the females typically weighing about 11 pounds more.
We should note that the males incubate the eggs. They also sometimes make a call that the Smithsonian says sounds a lot like "e-moo."
So, if you hear an emu saying "e-moo," one might be near you...or possibly far away. These noises are said to travel quite a distance.
Anyone who recognizes this particular missing emu is asked to call dispatchers at 863-402-7200. If you happen to be missing an emu, you should probably call that number, too.
