A viral video from Salcombe, Devon, shows a man wrestling an emu in the middle of a country road before the bird headbutts him and then runs back into a gated property.
Accounts from multiple outlets describe the incident as an unusual roadside encounter involving an animal that appears to be outside its enclosure. The bird is described as an escaped emu, and at least one report notes it is used on a Devon farm to deter foxes. In the footage, the man and the emu engage briefly on the lane, after which the emu retreats into the property.
While all sources focus on the same sequence—tussle, headbutt, and the emu leaving—coverage varies slightly in wording. Some frame it as a “scrap” or “wrestling” incident, and others emphasize that the emu has escaped from a farm setup. The reports do not provide details on any injuries or follow-up actions by authorities in the materials provided.
