A giant, flightless bird native to Austrailia. European explorers first spotted the emu in 1696. Since then, they have become one of Australia's most
famous species-and the continent's unofficial emblem. But don'
t underestimate the emu just because it looks like a comically overgrown turkey. It is a big bird and can grow as
tall as 6.2 ft (1.9 m) and weigh around 110
ib. (50 kg). It is also powerful, exceptionally fast, and amazingly adaptable. While many of Australia's other flightless
birds are struggling to cope with the modern world, the emu has survived and thrived.