Have you ever googled when emus attack? No? What, you may ask, would prompt such a search?Welcome to my day.
We were not, per se, attacked by an emu, but rather challenged by one in a really scary way. Yes, we were at the zoo, although it would be perfectly acceptable narrative to have this happen to me somewhere else (at least in the scope of events in my life, since really strange things tend to happen to me). BUT, at the zoo, it happened. Emus are huge birds with really big sharp beaks. The enclosures at our zoo are not enclosed, but rather habitats that you walk through on paths with no fences. The animals are usually indifferent and off the path, but not today. Today, the emu would not let us pass and was charging us. Quick thinking on our part, allowed us to get out BUT STILL......zoo staff snickered and mocked me a little. They said it must be mating season but I looked it up and that doesn't start until April. Hmph.
Then dearest husband mocked me A LOT. Not funny. Ok, maybe a little funny NOW, but not at the time. And, dearest emu, I plan on tracking down an emu burger and gleefully eating it so ha ha.
Actually my day started out pretty good, bacon and eggs and a lovely breakfast. It was when we headed out that I slipped on the stairs and into an icy puddle (ow) and then underestimated the time it takes to drive to the mall with the carousel (which was beautiful, Lil'Bug rode a dragon, a gazelle like goat, and a horse). We arrived late, but enjoyed immensely the company and the playing. We lunched and had fun walking and then snacked on a pomegranate smoothie, yum. The Lil'Bug wanted to go to the zoo so we invited our friends along. 39 degrees outside, 2 feet of melting snow, and a sugared up tot? Yeah, let's all go to the zoo!
Emu "encounter" aside (need I say that Lil'Bug thought the whole thing was so very awesome and joyfully expounded on the experience from her point of view when Daddy got home from work?), she splashed in every ice slush puddle she could find until, "bugs are stinging my feet, help help!"
????? I removed her shoes, icy and wet. No bugs. No bug bites. She was just articulating the stinging cold of wet, slushy puddle feet. Yeah, kid frostbite starts as stinging. Duh. Oh, and I get the mom of the year award for letting my kid splash in ice slush puddles while shod in canvas sneakers. I know, brilliant.
So home we went. What a day. Despite all the zoo drama I had a wonderful time with Laura (LifeDreamed) and her K.- thank you lady! I wish I had brought my camera.
I would eat an Emu burger too after that! Sounds like a cool zoo usually...sounds like a fun day!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, what a picture of the emu!!! Birds freak me out so I think if I had been in your shoes, friend, I would have cried and then punched the face of the zoo employees who mocked me! It sounds like you were able to make the best of the outing at any rate.
ReplyDeleteGood for you!
:)
Eric was just talking about the other day when we went to the aviary!
ReplyDeleteEmu's attacking. It started something like "Are emu's dangerous?" by Little Son, and then Eric went on with "Yes!...."
:)
Sorry you received it first hand! :/
The thing is, I lived on a "buffalo" ranch and while I wasn't there when my aunt had emus, I was around them as livestock at shows and learned about them durring discussions. I actually knew that this flock of emus had been aggressive in the past (from the zookeepers girlfriend) BUT in the last three years of going to the zoo almost weekly in warm weather, I'd just gotten used to them keeping to themselves. :) Of course a 6 ft bird is dangerous! All animals can be. Still, these things have to happen to me!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's what makes ours an interesting life, I suppose.
That was really rude of the zoo staff to laugh...but is it rude if I do? It's a laugh of sympathy though, really. We've been attacked by the zoo's goats (if you go in the morning they are hungry and will even go through your stroller!) and the llama tried to eat my coat. No run-ins with the emu though.
ReplyDeletemy boys think the emu photo is the funniest thing ever. forgot to say that a while back.
ReplyDelete