Escaped emu recaptured after four weeks on the run

More than 40 volunteers helped to recapture the runaway emu

An escaped emu has been recaptured after being on the run for a number of weeks in Lincolnshire.

The female bird was spotted a number of times in the Spilsby area over the past month, but Lincolnshire Police said it was not clear when it escaped or where from.

The Australian animal, named Wiggles by its rescuers, was caught by a number of wildlife groups near Spilsby on Friday.

One of the organisations involved, National Exotics Animal Rescue Service (NEARS), appealed for its owner to get in touch.

NEARS said: "Wiggles is now safe and will reside at an emu specific sanctuary where she will be checked over by an exotic vet and looked after until the owner comes forward, or she is fit and ready to go up for adoption.

"She’s a little skinny after her adventure but nothing some TLC won’t fix."

More than 40 volunteers were involved in her capture using swan hooks and deer nets after the bird fell into a water-filled ditch.

There were a number of sightings of Wiggles over the last few weeks

Jen Quinn from Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue described the hunt for the missing emu as an "absolute nightmare".

"She stayed relatively in the same place," she said.

"They had a couple of emu keepers that had been with her on a daily basis. They'd taken some food out and a bucket of water and tried to gain their trust.

"But that was interrupted by a group of people in a 4x4 chasing her across the field, so of course we're back to square one."

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