A military campaign to exterminate crop-destroying emus in Western Australia ended in victory for the fast-running birds.
In the 1930s, a unique war broke out in the Australian outback. After World War I, thousands of veterans moved to Western Australia, attracted by the government’s policy of encouraging land reclamation. As a result, thousands of emus, large flightless birds, migrated into newly established farms to search for food and trample crops. The government’s response was quick and unusual, deploying troops armed with machine guns to destroy more than 20,000 emus. They expected a quick and decisive victory, but did not expect that this would open the “Ostrich War”.
More than 5,000 soldiers were sent by the Australian government to settle in the country’s westernmost state and become farmers. However, harsh conditions in the region make growing crops difficult due to poor soil and sparse rain. A severe drought in 1932 pushed nearly 20,000 emus into the farm area. They destroy fences allowing smaller pests to enter the farm.
Farmers called on the government for support. On November 2, 1932, three soldiers from the Royal Australian Artillery arrived with two machine guns. The simple task is to eliminate the emus and protect the crops. But the campaign quickly descended into chaos. “I think at that time they underestimated this bird. They were not successful because the emu is an extremely agile bird,” said Sarah Comacchio, an employee at Taronga Zoo, Sydney.
In the first 3 days, the group of soldiers only killed 30 emus. Instead of gathering in large flocks, emus are scattered, becoming challenging targets. Two days later, a machine gun was jammed in an ambush in a lagoon with thousands of emus in sight.
As the war spread, the public became fascinated by the emu’s ability to survive. They even form small groups to watch to avoid being caught. Truck drivers who failed to herd the emus to the gunman said they could run over rough ground at speeds of 88.5 km/h. Other witnesses expressed amazement at their ability to survive the bullets.
Forty-five days after the start of the campaign, soldiers had killed only about 2,500 emus, a fraction of their population. Not long after, campaigners called for humane treatment of animals and the government stopped the campaign, with the emu becoming the ultimate victor.
The Ostrich War is a testament to the incredible resilience of this bird. Standing nearly two meters tall with a stride of more than one meter, the emu is among a group of flightless birds whose ancestors were dinosaurs. They are the only birds with leg muscles that help them lunge forward. Extremely strong muscles give them excellent speed and endurance, being able to move 24 km/day in search of food. Their movements are difficult to predict and can go in any direction, according to Rowan Mott, an ecologist at the Bush Heritage Association.
Although emus often forage alone or in small groups, drought can prompt them to form large flocks, transforming their solitary foraging habits into collective movements across the countryside. Not only did they survive the Ostrich Wars, they played a key role in the ecosystem by dispersing seeds over wide distances, helping plants regenerate across Australia. Protected under Australia’s environmental laws since 1999, their numbers have remained stable with more than 600,000 wild emus across the continent.