Well, another lesson learned. When the emu farmer delivered the Emerys several months ago, he did say that because they were already 6 months old, they would be difficult to tame. And yes, it took awhile for me to be able to handfeed and pat them but, now that they are gone, I’ve remembered another thing he said which was that free-ranging them could be tricky because of their tendency to go walkabout.
Yesterday, when I found them in the next door paddock they were actually having a great time eating grass and bugs and grit. Cabbage couldn’t compete and even though (I thought) they were relieved to see me, and they cheeped fondly, all of my attempts to herd them back through the various spaces in the fences became futile.
In retrospect I don’t think they could hold the contradiction of their fondness for me and their fondness for freedom in their heads so, in wandering away rather than back, it’s obvious that they chose freedom. After all, they are nomadic creatures and they love to wander. By the time dusk fell yesterday, despite sighting them in other adjacent paddocks (which proves they could get through various fences), I had to give up. This morning they are nowhere to be seen so I imagine, like Wantok, they are now kilometres away up in the hills with other creatures of their kind. They are big enough now to defend themselves against foxes and they are instinctively nomadic and self-sufficient.
The remorse of having accidentally injured one of them in getting him over the fence will probably remain in my rolling heart for some time; that was the darkest of yesterday’s moments.
If our 5 acres of garden and 100 acres of farmland wasn’t enough for them, then I guess they made the right decision and it’s my loss, their gain. I will miss them but I won’t worry about them because they have probably already forgotten me anyway. Yes indeed, another lesson learned.
jmgoyder 
You’re going through the mothering thing a lot, aren’t you? Helping them to grow and then watching as they head off into the world… At least they’ve had a great mum!
Nature versus nurture I guess.
Well said, Ms Goyder, but still so sad:(=
Yeah – thanks Garry.
So they are gone for good? Maybe they will head over my way and I can gather them up and return them to you.
I wish.
Hi,
It may of been a lesson learned, but still a hard way to learn a lesson I feel, very sad indeed.
Very sad but resigned now to the fact that they are gone for good – thanks magsy.
Although I in no way can lay claim to be knowledgeable at all about emu’s (Is that even plural adding the S?) I had recalled a story I had read to my now 12 yr old grandson about a family of emu’s. The adolescent members of the family were always on walkabouts, and always returned. Granted it was a children’s fiction, yet I have belief for both of us Julie.
Wish I could think of the title or author now.
Thanks, and I love the idea of that story but I don’t think emus return in real life. I suppose you never know!
I just remembered some things more about the book. The emus name was Edward, and he went on walkabouts from the zoo. I think in the story there was a family of emus who lived there.
It was one of my grandson’s fave stories which is why I remembered it.
Thank you, Baroness.
I am sorry about your emerys. It’s tough when you don’t get the reward for hard work.
Thanks so much. As they haven’t come back I have to assume they are now happily in the wild.
You are having it tough in so many ways at the moment. Thinking of you.
You are the best, Tilly!
Oh dear, another bird(s) flown the coop! Well you can’t blame them for wanting to be free and if it’s possible for them to survive in the wild, I say let’s be happy for them. Run free Emus, run free!
I just hope they’ll be okay.