Emus — the flightless birds — are famed for being one of the fastest animals on the planet, and a pet emu named MeeMoo certainly lived up to the reputation as he clocked speeds of up to 40mph during a bizarre 20-mile chase through Harriman, Tenn. The emu’s owner, Harry McKinney, said the bird escaped from his farm after being spooked by construction workers logging behind his home. MeeMoo cleared the fence with a 7-foot vertical leap and took off running. McKinney took off after the bird, but soon lost sight of it and posted an appeal on social media. He was flooded with messages from residents who provided updates on MeeMoo’s whereabouts, and it wasn’t long before the Harriman Police Department got involved. The chase began at about 20mph, but quickly progressed to speeds of up to 40mph. MeeMoo was eventually surrounded by police and McKinney was able to collect his exhausted pet from a nearby home. McKinney has now reinforced the fence and raised the height to 9 feet. Thankfully, MeeMoo is no worse for the wear.
