Woman fulfils childhood dream of rearing an emu

Rhi Evans bought the fertilised emu egg during a late-night shopping spree

A late night shopping spree turned into a dream come true for one animal lover after she successfully hatched an emu egg.

Rhi Evans, from Cirencester, Gloucestershire, has no memory of buying the egg but woke one morning in 2022 to an email confirmation from eBay saying it was on its way.

Unable to secure a refund, Ms Evans, who has a lifelong fascination for large prehistoric birds, decided to "wing it" and try and hatch it on her three-acre farm.

Ms Evans adapted her property to rear the chick, but an expert in emu care warned the birds were "not pets for a casual keeper".

Ms Evans had been scrolling through eBay one night, aimlessly adding "random things" to her basket when she bought the £37 egg.

Describing the moment it arrived, she told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: "It was absolutely incredible. They are just the most amazing things, they look almost like dragon eggs."

She continued: "At that point I thought, well I've always had this fascination with large birds and it's always been a dream of mine to own one."

"I've sort of got myself into this situation now, so what's the harm in trying?"

Rhi Evans bought zoo-grade equipment to hatch and rear Jonathan the emu

Ms Evans purchased zoo-grade equipment and repurposed the stables on her land in preparation.

Throughout the two-month incubation process she had to carefully turn the egg several times a day.

But she watched the emu's due date come and go, and conceded it was not meant to be.

"I went to turn the incubator off, take the egg out and dispose of it, when I heard cheeping and whistling from inside the egg," she said.

When it hatched, Ms Evans said it was like "all my childhood dreams had finally come true and reached this pinnacle moment".

"It was incredible and fascinating to watch. It was like I was living that scene in Jurassic Park where the velociraptors are hatching," she said.

Rhi Evans belatedly found out Jonathan was female

"I remember thinking how is this tiny chick going to turn into some majestic, six-foot monstrosity. I just couldn't believe it, but here we are today."

She named the chick Jonathan before discovering she was female.

Three years later, the six-foot bird now lives with her at home, roaming the fields and cosying up under a heat lamp.

While Jonathan is now an integral part of her life, Ms Evans warns rearing an emu is not a decision to be taken lightly.

"They require a huge amount of commitment, their life span is 35-40 years so you've got to be in it for the long haul," she said.

Helen Goldman, from West Country Emu Services, agreed the birds were not "pets for a casual keeper", and urged potential owners to ensure they were equipped.

"They're large, powerful animals that need plenty of space, as they can run up to 30mph. Their food is a specialist ratite diet, which can be costly, and they also need a minimum of six-foot fencing," she said.

"These are wonderful, intelligent birds, but they deserve homes that truly meet their needs."

Rhi Evans is now looking for a mate for Jonathan

Ms Evans is now considering finding Jonathan a mate, but will not be turning to eBay again.

"I leave my phone in a separate room now because I dread to think what will appear on my email confirmation the next day. I definitely do not recommend late night shopping on eBay," she said.