…..Ella was halfway through telling me a wildlife story when suddenly I interrupted her mid sentence with:
“Emu. Emu. EMU.”
At first she barely reacted.
“Mum… I’m talking about crocod—”
“EMU!!”
At which point she finally looked up to where I was pointing and instantly matched my astonishment:
“EMU!!”
Somewhere beside a Central Queensland highway (Orange Creek) we both temporarily lost all ability to communicate beyond one repeated bird name while trying not to frighten the very large and extremely panicked wild emu now sprinting between us and a barbed wire fence looking desperately for a gap back into the paddock.
We slowed right down and stayed well back, worried he might hit the fence or tangle himself in panic.
Then suddenly he found an opening.
And honestly… I have never seen anything so expressive in my life.
The instant that emu realised he was free he launched himself across the field in complete jubilation — neck stretched impossibly far forward, legs going in every direction, beak opening and closing while running at extraordinary speed as though every feather on him was celebrating.
I didn’t capture the moment on video, but I don’t think a video could have properly translated the joy of it anyway.
Ella helped raise a baby cassowary named Fergus during her years working at Australia Zoo, and although we’ve both spent time around emus there… neither of us had ever seen one truly wild before.
Some moments stay with you simply because they are unexpected, hilarious and completely alive.
To Hold & To Have 