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The Real Story Behind Australia’s Great Emu ‘War’ Of 1932 (And Why They Lost—Twice)
In the midst of the 20th century, a peculiar conflict unfolded in rural Western Australia. Between November and December 1932, Australian military forces engaged in a series of battles against an unlikely adversary – emus, flightless birds that have been native to the continent for thousands of years.
These battles, often referred to as the Great Emu War, were sparked by a combination of factors, including crop destruction and livestock losses. However, what began as a straightforward eradication attempt quickly devolved into a comical and futile exercise in futility for the military forces involved.
The first wave of attacks saw Australian soldiers armed with machine guns attempting to ambush the emus, only to be outsmarted by their cunning and coordinated efforts. The birds would scatter upon sensing danger, rendering individual targeting difficult if not impossible. Their remarkable group dynamics and speed (reaching up to 31 miles per hour) allowed them to evade capture or injury.
Despite being vastly outnumbered and outgunned, the emus proved to be formidable opponents. In fact, they demonstrated such impressive resilience that the military deemed both initial operations unsuccessful, with a staggering total of over 2,500 rounds fired and only a handful of birds killed.
Source: www.forbes.com
