Wildlife groups urge caution as dry conditions draw emus to Broken HillBy Oliver BrownABC Broken HillTopic:Animal Behaviour2h ago2 hours agoThu 1 May 2025 at 11:56pmLarge numbers of emus are wandering the streets in Broken Hill. (ABC Broken Hill: Katherine Spackman)In short:Broken Hill residents have been reporting large numbers of emus wandering city streets in recent weeks.Wildlife groups say the emus are seeking water due to drought conditions and urge the community to be mindful of the animals' welfare.What's next?The Bureau of Meteorology says low rainfall is likely to persist through the winter months, which may draw the emus back in the future.abc.net.au/news/drought-draws-emus-to-broken-hill-wildlife-groups-urge-caution/105237790Link copiedShareShare articleWhen stepping onto a local sporting oval or pulling out of your driveway, it is unlikely you would be looking out for emus.However, residents in the far west New South Wales city of Broken Hill have been seeing large numbers of Australia's unofficial national bird flocking into town in recent weeks, both solo and in groups.Local animal rescuer and carer with the NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) Stephanie Grieve said the emus were likely seeking refuge and water as the surrounding country dried out.Wildlife rescuers say emus have migrated into the city seeking food and water. (ABC Broken Hill: Oliver Brown)According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), the Broken Hill region recorded lower than average rainfall in January, about 0.4 millimetres, and a mostly dry April, with 33.6mm of the month's total of 33.8mm falling on April 26."The drought conditions are already really putting stress on [the emus], so that is why they're coming into town," Ms Grieve said."We are seeing such huge numbers of them, and a lot of them are juvenile, so they don't have a lot of road sense."Community's welfare concernsMs Grieve and Broken Hill WIRES volunteers have received at least 25 separate emu reports throughout April and have rescued several birds, including some hit by vehicles.Stephanie Grieve says WIRES has been "extremely busy" responding to emu reports. (Supplied: Aaron Grieve)"We ask if people do see them [on the road], please just take your time because they're getting scared," Ms Grieve said."They don't know what they're doing. They'll go across the road [and then] change their mind."Ms Grieve said WIRES had also been saddened to hear reports of children throwing rocks at the wandering emus and urged parents to discourage it."It's not OK to be cruel to any animal, let alone such a beautiful animal that is coming in, seeking refuge [and] just trying to do their best to live their life," she said.The emus are a mixture of adults and juveniles, with varying mob sizes. (ABC News: Oliver Brown)Don't feed the emusNational Parks and Wildlife Service West Darling area ranger Emma McLean also urged the community to take extra caution.Ms McLean said while it was not surprising to see emus in a more urban environment, it was important to remember they were still wild birds.Loading..."Generally, feeding wildlife is the worst thing you can do for them," Ms McLean said."I know it comes from a good place, a place of concern for the animal and kindness, but it has the potential to condition animals to expect food and water [so] potentially they could come in more often."Feeding wild animals human-like foods can actually be quite problematic for their health as well."Dry conditions continueMs McLean said emus were mobile creatures and she hoped most would soon leave the city.But Ms Grieve said she worried that without more rain in their usual outback habitats, they may return along with other water-seeking animals, such as kangaroos.There are concerns emus may continue coming into town if the dry weather continues. (Supplied: Barb Quayle)BOM climatologist Caitlin Minney said the Broken Hill region could expect average to slightly below average rainfall this winter compared to previous years."For Broken Hill, there's a 75 per cent chance of between 25 and 50 millimetres for May to July," Ms Minney said."Our rainfall long-range forecast for May is looking at likely drier than average conditions for much of Australia."ABC Broken Hill — local news in your inboxGet our local newsletter, delivered free each FridayYour information is being handled in accordance with the ABC Privacy Collection Statement.Email addressSubscribePosted 2h ago2 hours agoThu 1 May 2025 at 11:56pmShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesWhy don't the major parties want house prices to fall? 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