Sightings of the large, flightless bird near Peacehaven were shared online on the morning of August 9, but owner Virgil Szilagyi-Ruggins quickly tracked it down and returned it home. The moment the escaped emu was found on land neighbouring its 20-acre home. (Image: Virgil Szilagyi-Ruggins)He added that the distance travelled by the escaped emu was not unusual for the species. The escaped emu found a weak spot where an old fence post had collapsed and "simply walked out," he said, before wandering onto neighbouring land. The section of fencing the emu escaped through has now been replaced.