Outback pub gives emus the bird

‘‘An emu walks into a bar . . . ‘‘ might sound like the start of a joke told by tipsy drinkers, but when it became a reality for a pub in the outback, the birds’ bad behaviour was not so funny.

The Yaraka Hotel has banned emus after they learnt to climb the pub steps and mingle with boozers.

‘‘We didn’t really want them becoming patrons in the hotel,’’ Chris Gimblett, 81, said from his pub 1200 kilometres northwest of Brisbane. ‘‘When they do get in here, they behave badly.’’

In the town, which has 20 residents and where summer temperatures hit 43C, the hotel offers respite. Two emus overstayed their welcome, forcing Gimblett to erect a sign banning them and ropes to keep them out.

The sign reads: ‘‘Emus have been banned for bad behaviour. Please let yourself in through the emu barrier then reconnect please!’’

The emus have targeted visitors’ food and drinks. Leanne Bryne, a resident, said: ‘‘They’ve started pinching the keys of my car. Carol [a wellknown local emu] was trying to drink my vodka the other night – I told her she wasn’t 18.’’ –