BROCKTON, Mass. — Larry Bird is a Boston legend, but a different kind of bird had its 15 minutes of fame on Thursday.
Police officers in Brockton, Massachusetts, were involved in a wild goose chase when a pet emu escaped and wandered through the city, WFXT-TV reported.
The flightless bird, common to Australia, was found stalking the area in the Boston suburb around Pine Street and Perry Avenue in Brockton, according to the television station. The fleeing fowl was able to elude police, and some area residents caught the bird on video that was posted on social media.
According to the San Diego Zoo, the emu is the second-largest bird in the world. Only ostriches are larger.
This big bird, named Mallory, was finally caught after three hours by Brockton police and owner Lee Flaherty.
Flaherty believes Mallory was scared by a wild animal, causing the bird to vault over a 6-foot fence and run away, WLS-TV reported.
“She was terrified,” Flaherty said.
The latest version of the Brockton bomber -- the city was the home of heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano -- was corraled in a shopping center parking lot, WFXT reported.
The bird suffered a minor scrape on her left leg but was otherwise unharmed, WLS reported.
