Emus on the run in Marsden

A TROUBLEMAKING family of emus slowed traffic near Marsden.

Like a scene from a Looney Tunes cartoon, two adult emus raced down the road, abandoning their chick in the dust behind them.

They were spotted on Huddersfield Road by drivers shortly before midday on Tuesday.

Geoff Owen, who is from Oldham, was travelling to work at Logistical Support in Meltham when he spotted the birds, which are native to Australia.

The 55-year-old said: “I couldn’t believe it when I saw it.

“People were coming towards me flashing their headlights telling me to slow down.

“I saw three emus running down the road towards Marsden village.

“A little one was trying to keep up but the other two left him behind and went jumping through a field.

“At one point, one was beside my car, looked at me through the window and stared me in the eyes. It tickled me.

“It’s the last thing you expect to see in the middle of Marsden.”

But they aren’t the only animals native to Australia that can be seen in the Colne Valley.

Three wallabies are often spotted in the local villages after escaping from their pens at Hey Leys Farm in Slaithwaite.

Know where the emus might have escaped from? Email stephanie. finnegan@trinitymirror.com.