Owners Of Missing Chaska Emu Desperate For Pet's Return

CHASKA, Minn. (WCCO) -- Another flightless bird is lost and wandering around in yards southwest of the Twin Cities.

The male Emu jumped a fence on the farm where it lives just outside of Chaska two months ago. Since then, the Emu has been spotted in Cologne, near downtown Chaska and Victoria.

The bird's owner is desperate to get the pet back home. Wendy Peiffer says she now knows where her missing Emu has been hanging out.

"The Emu was last spotted this morning on Bavaria Road in Victoria, Minnesota," said Wendy Peiffer.

There are videos of the wandering Emu all over social media.

"There it is, this is the mate of the ones that's lost in Victoria," Peiffer said.

Wendy introduced us to the Emu, who did not get away.

"It's melancholy obviously because it doesn't have its mate," Peiffer said.

She says the male Emu left his mate when they were making hay, near the area where the birds usually strut around.

"And it got scared of the combine and basically jumped the fence," Peiffer said.

She says at one time, she and her husband Warren's farm was home to 18 of the birds that are native of Australia.

"They are pasture ornaments, so are them," Peiffer said.

Wendy says they really never got around to giving the birds names.

"I think you should name it," Peiffer said.

While we thought about names, we learned how not to try and catch a wandering Emu. This video shows how fast they are when approached.

"Okay walk this way because you herd Emu's and I want it to walk back into the pen," Peiffer said.

We named one and as we got Regina back in the barn, the missing Emu's name just came to us.

"We'll call him big bird unless you want to call it Reginald, Reginald and Regina I like that," Peiffer said.

Wendy says the man who owns the property where Reginald has been seen is hoping to herd him into his barn. She says when he is reunited with Regina, taller fences may be in order to keep them from wandering away.