Ramapo, NY – An emu that escaped from a local petting zoo led Town of Ramapo police on an unusual pursuit Saturday morning, with officers using a department drone to track the large bird before safely returning it to the facility. The incident occurred at approximately 8:45 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, according to the Town of Ramapo Police Department. Officers responding to the call were able to locate the emu relatively quickly, but bringing the animal under control required coordination between officers on the ground and the department’s Drone as First Responder program.
Police deployed a Skydio drone to follow the emu’s movements from above while officers worked to contain the animal. Images and video released following the incident showed the emu moving through the area as officers followed nearby. The aerial view allowed police to continue tracking the bird while officers coordinated their response from the ground. Sergeant Anton was among the officers involved in bringing the animal under control, according to the department.
The emu was eventually captured without injury and returned to the petting zoo. Police reported that no officers, members of the public or animals were injured during the incident. No citations were issued. FOX 5 New York also reported that no property damage resulted from the escape.
The identity and specific location of the petting zoo were not publicly disclosed in initial reports. News 12 reported that the name and address of the facility were not immediately available. It also remained unclear how the emu escaped from its enclosure or how long it had been outside the facility before police were called.
The response provided an uncommon example of how Ramapo’s Drone as First Responder technology can be used to assist officers during situations involving animals as well as more conventional law enforcement calls. In this case, the drone was used to maintain an aerial view of the emu’s location and movements while officers worked from the ground to recover it safely.
Ramapo police took a lighthearted approach when describing the incident publicly, referring to the escaped animal as a “feathered fugitive” and its trip through the area as an unauthorized tour. Despite the unusual nature of the call, the operation ended without incident, and the emu was returned to the petting zoo.
The episode attracted attention beyond Rockland County after photographs and video of the pursuit circulated online and several regional and national news organizations reported on the escape. The basic details remained consistent across reports: the emu escaped Saturday morning, Ramapo police used a drone and officers on the ground to track and contain it, and the bird was safely returned without injuries.