She’s not your average spring chicken… For this issue we went in search of a star that gives Big Bird a run for his money. Perth Woman spoke exclusively with the pride and joy of Marapana Wildlife Park, Ume the Emu.
Hello Ume, it is nice to meet you, and a pleasure to be able to speak with you today.
How old are you, Ume?
I am 2 ½ years old.
How long have you lived here at Marapana Wildlife Park?
Since I was a big green egg! I was hand raised here with my sister Bebe as Daddy Emu didn’t seem to know what he was doing, and left us all alone!
That sounds tough....
No, not at all, Dad was probably pretty dazed after incubating us for 55days without once leaving the nest!! And we were pretty spoilt; nice warm blanket nests, cuddles, car trips, and we got to play with all the other animals that live here too!
So the staff named you Ume?
Yeah, humans find it hard to make the emu sounds, they tell me it’s emu spelt backwards...but I can’t spell emu, so I don’t know for sure....
Do you know what emu means?
Not exactly, but it’s said that it’s derived from an old human word meaning large bird.
I see you live with a variety of other animals out in the park; are you friends with them all?
Mostly, although the llamas and alpacas aren’t always good eggs, they can be awfully greedy, and they spit! Also chickens, I can’t stand chickens....
Really? Chickens? Why is that, Ume?
They are such troublesome little creatures, always getting underneath my feet! I mean, they can fly so I don’t see why they need to bother me really, hmph!
Haha, well, enough about what you don’t like, what are some of your favourite things?
Ooo! WATER! I LOVE WATER! Sometimes my human friends will spray me with the hoses if they’re filling water troughs up, it’s so much fun to roll around in, I like getting it right under my feathers, especially in summer! When we were chicks we used to run into a pond in the wombat area, I think Bluey was the chap’s name, and we rolled and swam in there until we got put back to bed.
What about your favourite food?
I love seeds, the pellet treats we get given, and green things! Oh, and shiny things, I don’t often get to eat them, but humans carry the most delightfully shiny things with them and I just can’t help myself, I have to have a taste. *ruffles feathers excitedly*
I hear emus are fast; how quick can you run?
Well, so far my best time has been 65km/hr. Bebe is trying to beat me, but she’s only average at about 50km/hr, *looks chuffed with herself* but we know some emus can get to around 70km/hr!!
That is quite an achievement. Do you have any other talents?
No, speed is my thing, all the thrill of a chase, without chasing! When my human friends at Marapana whistle a certain way, we know they want us to run like crazy, so we run rings around them!
Well, that about wraps it up, thankyou for talking to us today, Ume.
No worries, mate, I hope the readers come and visit me sometime!
If you want to meet Ume in real life you can visit her at Marapana Wildlife Park, 157 Paganoni Rd, Karnup, WA. Ph: (08) 9537 1404
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