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Speaking of animals in Australia, you must be familiar with kangaroos and koalas. But have you found that there is another animal on the national emblem of Australia, which is the image spokesman of the country like kangaroo. It's called emu.
Maybe many people can't even read the pronunciation of these two words, but its origin is not small. Emu is the largest bird in Australia, the largest bird in the world besides ostrich, and one of the oldest bird species in the world. It is the only remaining species of Emu family in the order Ostrichidae.
Emu is 1.5-1.9 meters tall and weighs 30-60 kg, while male birds are usually smaller. It feeds on weeds, seeds, fruits and other plants and insects, lizards and other small animals.
Although it still retains a pair of tiny wings, it can no longer fly. It can swim, is good at running, and can reach 70 kilometers per hour.
Emu is widely distributed in the Australian mainland, but it is common in open areas and rare in mountains and dense forests. In Longreach
Region, emus can often be seen walking freely in the street.
Although emu and kangaroo are the original species on the national emblem of Australia, they have been hunted in large numbers. In 1932, farmers in Western Australia complained to the military that there were too many native bird emu populations, which roamed around all day, resulting in the lack of local food and fresh water. In order to curb the growth of the number of emus, the Australian military sent soldiers equipped with machine guns to carry out a large-scale extermination of emus. This extermination was called "Emu War" by later generations.
With the continuous reduction of the number of emus, the Australian government began to legislate to protect emus in 1988, and also agreed that the indigenous people of each state began to breed emus. Emu and kangaroo finally stood on the national emblem of Australia and became the national bird and legally protected animal.
Later, people found its value
Because of its large number, it eventually became a delicacy on the Australian table like kangaroo. In Australia, emu meat skewers are very popular, as well as pizzas and hamburgers made of emu meat and kangaroo meat. They are said to be delicious and very popular with local people and tourists.
Emu meat and eggs are rich in nutrition, which not only helps to reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, but also beautifies and beautifies.
Emu eggshells are natural dark green, unique among birds. Emu eggshells have three layers of color, which are dark green, sky blue and white. Crafts carved from emu eggshells have high collection value.
There is a fat bag on the back of the emu, each of which can produce 2-3.5kg/piece of oil. It has the ability of deep penetration and can heal burns, cuts, rashes and other skin diseases. Emu oil can also relieve muscle pain; It has therapeutic effect on injuries and joint inflammation caused by sports activities.
When you arrive in Australia, especially in Longrich, you must not miss this magical creature. It is a good choice to have a close contact with it, taste emu meat, and bring some emu oil back to send relatives and friends.
