Capture failed

Emu escaped from its enclosure and was shot dead

Emu "Nando" kept the emergency services in Thuringia on their toes at the weekend.(Bild: Landespolizeiinspektion Nordhausen)

Police in the German state of Thuringia have now shot an emu that had escaped from its enclosure. All attempts to capture the animal had previously failed.

The Australian ratite "Nando" was discovered by a road user in a field next to a country road on Saturday. A day earlier, he had escaped from his enclosure in Schlotheim, as the police in Nordhausen reported. However, all attempts to recapture the animal had failed. Even the owner, who was contacted, was unable to tame "Nando", it is said.

Suddenly ran towards officers
The large bird probably felt threatened by the fire department and the police. He kept running towards the highway. After a wild chase with the emergency services across the adjacent field, the emu suddenly turned around and ran towards the people. In order to "prevent a danger to the officers and other road users", the twelve-year-old animal was finally shot.