An exotic emu escaped from its holding in Salcombe, Devon on 9 September and was tackled by a man attempting to recapture it on a country road. After wrestling with the defiant bird for approximately 20 seconds, the emu headbutted its captor, sending him flying across the road before trotting back to the gated farm from which it had escaped. The incident was captured on video and has become a widely-shared moment of unexpected drama.

James Barker, aged 46, filmed the encounter whilst driving past the struggle. He noted that an alpaca watching from inside the gated farm added to the entertainment value of the scene. The video was subsequently shared on social media by Mr Barker's wife, Ro, where it accumulated more than two million views, providing viewers with an amusing distraction.