Twist in 'brilliant' emu photo at outback pub: 'Only in Australia'
Lani Thomson said it was a 'special' moment for her and her family when she saw the birds.
The photo of an emu and its eight chicks strolling past an outback pub might be an uncommon sight for city dwellers but it's an "everyday" occurrence for those working and living in a remote Aussie town.
Loni Thomson and her family have been running the aptly named The Family Hotel in Tibooburra — situated in the far northwest of NSW — since 2013. The sighting of the emu last month was particularly "special" for them as they helped to hand-rear the bird.
"We actually helped to hatch that emu from its egg," she told Yahoo News. "He was hip-height when we released him along with another emu [and] he's made his way back into town and lived around here ever since."
The family were concerned for the bird's safety after he seemingly "disappeared" until one day last month. He waltzed past the pub showing his off his new chicks and Loni's mum Melissa snapped the picture to confirm he was alive and thriving.
"It was then we realised 'Sue' was a boy, not a girl," Loni laughed. "The males look after their chicks."
Tourists flock to pub to catch sight of emus
The family often have unusual guests in the outback pub, with patrons regularly greeted by goats, sheep and kangaroos as well as 'Sue' and his chicks.
"The tourists love them, seeing a big bird rocking up at the pub is different," she said, explaining backpackers who come to work at the pub also love the wildlife encounters. "All sorts of animals wander past every day."
The emus have even caused some trouble with the family, "taking the laundry off the line and out of baskets" as they are seemingly comfortable around the pub owners.
"It's really cool," Loni said.
After the "brilliant" photo was shared online, many Aussies and tourists alike were delighted by the birds.
"This pub is so friendly even the emus bring their family in," one woman joked, while another said "this only happens in Australia".
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