Unruly emus banned from Australian pub

Two emus, named Carol and Kevin, have been barred from their local pub in western Queensland after stealing from punters and defecating on the floor.

Chris Gimblett, who co-owns The Yaraka Hotel along with his wife Gerry, said the bird’s “bad bahaviour” had become a problem.

The Gimbletts have now placed rope barriers across the entrance to the pub, with a sign reading: “Emus have been banned from this establishment for bad behaviour. Please let yourself in through the emu barrier and then reconnect please.”

Gimblett told ABC that the avian adventurers had recently learned to climb the front steps.

“We didn’t really want them becoming patrons,” he said. “Their toileting [inside] is not particularly pleasant. They still hang around each gate, hoping that they’ll be able to slip in when someone opens it up. But so far we are winning the war.”

Gerry Gimblett told Guardian Australia that the emus had been stealing food from guests.

“They’d stick their heads in and pinch toast out of the toaster,” she said. “But the main reason we’ve banned them is their droppings. They’re enormous, very large and very smelly, and they created great stains.”

Emus can reach almost two metres in height and can travel at speeds of up to 31mph. Carol and Kevin were reportedly two of nine emus that once lived in town, after hatching in 2018.

The emus are not the only feathered fowl to commit a misdemeanor. In 2017 a rogue peacock destroyed US$500 worth of wine and spirits after brazenly strutting into a liquor store in Los Angeles and refusing to leave.

It took an animal control officer 90-minutes to catch the beaked intruder, which laid waste large quantities of expensive alcohol, including Champagne.