An escaped emu in Salcombe, Devon, was caught on video wrestling with a man who attempted to capture the bird after it fled its enclosure. The incident, which took place on a rural road, showed a struggle lasting about 20 seconds before the emu headbutted the man, knocking him to the ground, and then ran back into the gated property from which it had escaped.

The emu, identified by its owner Mark Harrington as "Side Neck" due to the way its head moves from side to side while running, had apparently slipped through a gate left open by a worker on the property. An alpaca watched the confrontation from behind the farm’s gates as the man tried to restrain the flightless bird, which stands up to six feet three inches tall and is the world’s third-tallest bird species.

James Barker, a 46-year-old local resident who recorded the encounter while driving past, described the scene as amusing and unusual. He said the bird seemed reluctant to return to its enclosure. The video was shared by his wife Ro on social media, where it has garnered more than two million views.

Harrington said the emus on his farm often get loose and exhibit defensive behaviors such as spitting and kicking but are generally entertaining. He also noted that despite the occasional escape, he plans to acquire more emus, finding them practical for deterring foxes from his ducks and chickens.

The footage highlights the challenges and unexpected moments that can arise when managing exotic animals on rural properties, demonstrating the emu’s strength and feistiness as it escaped temporary captivity in Devon.