EMU BORN AT ZOO

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22206, 5 September 1935, Page 12

EMU BORN AT ZOO

A HARD-HEARTED MOTHER BISCUITS AN"" BOILED EGGS The first emu to be born in the Auckland Zoo for three years cracked its shell and stepped out into the world a few days ago Yesterday it was running about in the bright sunshine exploring its new surroundings and appraising the human visitors to its quarters. At present it appears to be sturdy and alert and hope is held that it will be satisfactorily reared. Tins acjdition to the emu colony has a lot of growing to do before it can look over the top of the wire like its parents, and even before it can look like an emu It is little more than a ball of grey-striped down, and although it is able to keep out of the way of its father's feet it is not yet big enough to reach much higher. The fact that its father's feet are the only ones it has to avoid, and probahly the only ones which interest it at the moment arises from a curious domestic circumstance of all well-brought-up emus. It is the male bird which sits for nine weeks on the eggs and subsequently protects the chicks from a hard-hearted mother, who is likely to bo antagonistic when not indifferent. s In view of this the mother in the Auckland Zoo has been segregated and the only place she has in the domestic scene ib that of spectator. When the chick is old enough to look after itself its mother will be allowed to go home. In the meantime the young emu is preparing for eventualities bv training on biscuit, lettuce, bread and iiard-boiled eggß.