The Emu ( Dromaiidae )

This bird is wanted- dead or alive! In Australia, these birds are hunted down for money. Why, you might ask? Because these vegetarian birds eat all the crops, trample fences, and wreak  havoc in general for town's folk. This bird, after being killed so frequently, is finally mostly in only the eastern, uninhabited part of the island.

These birds are flightless, and other than the ostrich, are some of the largest birds in the world. Also like the ostrich, this bird is flightless. They run along the ground, sometimes reaching 30 mph. The emus travel in clusters of three to six, and pair off for mating season, usually lasting from February to April.

Instead of the mother caring for the babies, the father is usually the one to take care of the chicks when they are born. The mating process is not interrupted by captivity, and emus are often bought and bred by people. They make good pets.