California Highway Patrol captures flightless fugitive emu

FRESNO, Calif. — California authorities have captured an emu after the flightless fugitive led officers down a highway.

The Fresno Bee reported Friday the bird was apprehended following a brief pursuit by California Highway Patrol officers.

Authorities say officers responded to a report an ostrich was wandering along the right-hand shoulder of U.S. Highway 99 northwest of Fresno.

Authorities said Madera County Animal Services took the bird into custody uninjured.

Officers say they do not know whether the emu escaped a nearby farm or a moving vehicle.

A California Highway Patrol car follows an emu as it ambled along the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 99 on Friday north of Avenue 17, near Madera, California.California Highway Patrol via AP

Animal experts say the flightless native Australian birds can sprint at up to 30 mph and trot quickly for longer distances.

Emus are the second-largest birds in the world behind the ostrich.

Information from: The Fresno Bee, http://www.fresnobee.com