Have you ever heard of a war not fought between humans, but between humans and birds? Imagine deploying machine guns to combat a flock of oversized, flightless birds. In 1932, Australia experienced this extraordinary scenario during what is now known as the Great Emu War. When thousands of emus invaded farmlands, Australia responded in the most dramatic way possible, by sending in the military. The outcome? A baffling and entertaining chapter in history that proved just how unpredictable nature can be.
The emu (Dromaius novaehollandiea) is the largest bird native to Australia and the second-largest bird in the world after the ostrich. These flightless birds can reach towering heights of up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) and boast a robust build. Despite their inability to fly, emus are incredibly fast runners, capable of reaching speeds of up to 50 km/h (31 mph). People also know them for their migratory behavior, as they travel hundreds of kilometers annually in search of food and water.
How The Emu War Started
The Australian government encouraged soldiers to take up farming in Western Australia following World War I as part of settlement schemes. However, in 1932, drought conditions led to a large-scale migration of emus, causing significant damage to farmland. These birds devastated crops like wheat and frequently broke through farmers’ fences, leaving gaps that allowed pests such as rabbits to infiltrate and do more damage.
During the Great Depression, Australia faced significant economic challenges, further worsened by the arrival of 20,000 emus that threatened farmers’ livelihoods.
Response from Government
The government allowed farmers to shoot themselves, but their resources remained limited. As the situation worsened, farmers appealed to the Australian government for help. In response, the government proposed military intervention to cull the emus and protect agricultural assets.
In November 1932, the Australian military, led by Major G.P.W. Meredith of the Royal Australian Artillery led the Australian military to address the emu crisis. Three soldiers, equipped with two Lewis machine guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition, went to the affected areas. Their mission: to significantly reduce the emu population and safeguard the farmers’ livelihoods.
A cinematographer shortly documented the event. Here’s the video –
The Great Emu War Begins
On November 2, the military team employed formation tactics to target a group of approximately 50 emus. However, as soon as the soldiers opened fire, the birds scattered in all directions, making them extremely difficult to hit. Later that day, the team encountered a smaller flock and managed to kill “perhaps a dozen” emus.
Two days later, on November 4, the soldiers set up an ambush near a local dam, waiting for thousands of emus to gather. The plan initially seemed promising, but one of the guns jammed after a few rounds. As a result, only 12 birds were killed before the rest scattered beyond reach. After three days of operations, the total number of emus killed was roughly 30.
By the fourth day, the army noticed a curious phenomenon: each pack of emus appeared to have its own leader—a large, black-plumed bird that acted as a sentinel, watching for danger and alerting the group of the army’s approach.
In an attempt to improve their results, the soldiers mounted a machine gun on the back of a truck, hoping to target the birds while driving. However, this tactic proved ineffective, as the bumpy terrain made aiming nearly impossible, and the emus continued to evade capture.
By November 8, after six days of efforts, an account estimated that around 300 emus had been killed. Despite these numbers, the campaign was far from the decisive victory the government had hoped for.
End of the Great Emu War
By November 8, news of the military’s failed efforts in the so-called “Emu War” had spread widely, with media reports mocking the operation and joking that if anyone deserved medals, it was the emus, who had “won every round so far.” The name “Emu War” gained popularity in the press as a humorous label for the debacle. Faced with mounting negative publicity, Defense Minister George Pearce withdrew military personnel and weapons on November 8. However, local farmers called for the military’s return.
By December 10, he claimed 986 confirmed kills, along with an estimated 2,500 additional birds that died from their injuries. The government began supplying ammunition directly and instituted bounties for dead emus. Over the next six months, people claimed approximately 57,000 bounties.
Conflict and Conservation
The only effective long-term solution to protect farmland from emu damage was the expansion of fencing over vast distances. However, this method sparked controversy, as critics argued that it threatened the survival of the emu population by obstructing their natural migration routes.
Later on, mass killing of emu reached to United Kingdom. Some conservationists there protested the cull as “extermination of the rare emu” or described the “war” as “an attempt at the mass destruction of the birds”. In 1922, the Australian government reclassified emus as “vermin” in response to their destruction of crops. However, the narrative shifted by 1999, emus were formally protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
The Great Emu War is a fascinating chapter in Australian history, highlighting the challenges of balancing agriculture with wildlife conservation.
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