Viral Video Shows Emu Wrestling Man on England’s Devon Road Before Headbutting and Escaping
A man attempting to restrain an escaped emu on a rural road in Salcombe, Devon, ended up being headbutted by the bird before it ran back into a gated property. James Barker, 46, filmed the unusual encounter on September 9, capturing the struggle as an alpaca watched from behind the gates. The clip has since received more than two million views online.
A roadside attempt to restrain an escaped emu in Salcombe, Devon, took an unexpected turn when the large bird headbutted the man trying to catch it before running back into the property it had escaped from. James Barker, 46, filmed the unusual encounter on September 9 as he drove along the rural road.
The video shows the man wrestling with the emu for at least 20 seconds as the bird repeatedly resists being restrained. An alpaca can also be seen watching the struggle from behind the farm's gates before the emu eventually breaks free. Viral Video Shows Horses Set Free as Fast-Moving Wildfire Sweeps Through France's Biscarrosse.
Emu Wrestles Man on England’s Devon Road Before Headbutts and Escapes
Video captures the moment a man wrestled an escaped emu in Devon before the bird headbutts him and flees back to its enclosure.
The bird is thought to have escaped its holding in Salcombe before being tackled to the ground on a nearby road.
James Barker, 46, filmed the… pic.twitter.com/wfDUpCIGDE
— The Times and Sunday Times (@thetimes) September 25, 2026
Emu Resists Capture On Rural Road
The enormous bird is believed to have escaped from its enclosure in Salcombe before being spotted on the road, the Telegraph reported. James said he stopped his vehicle after seeing the emu and watched as a man attempted to bring it under control.
The footage shows the man grappling with the bird as it fights against his attempts to restrain it. At one point, the man can be heard shouting: "emu down, emu down!"
The struggle continues for around 20 seconds before the emu suddenly headbutts the man. The impact sends him sprawling across the road, giving the bird an opportunity to escape. The emu then runs back towards the gated property it had originally fled from.
Alpaca Watches The Entire Scene
An alpaca standing behind the farm's gates became an unexpected part of the scene. James, who was laughing as he recorded the incident, said the animal's presence added to the unusual spectacle. "The alpaca stood in the gateway made the scene."
He said the encounter was something he did not expect to see while driving. "It's not something you see every day!" James said he decided to record the incident because people might otherwise have found it difficult to believe. "I had to take video otherwise people wouldn't believe me. "I saw the bird on the road, so I pulled up to let the guy get hold of it - but it was too funny not to try and film.
He added that the bird appeared reluctant to return to its enclosure. "It was evident the bird was not quite so keen to get back to his home! "Nowadays with everything going on in the world, it's quite nice to see something that is a bit entertaining!".
James's wife, Ro Barker, later posted the footage on social media. The video has since attracted more than two million views, with viewers reacting to the unexpected encounter between the man and the emu. One person commented: "You can't make that up, this has made my day."
Another wrote: "Only in Salcombe!" The footage has since drawn widespread attention for its unusual combination of an escaped emu, a roadside struggle and an alpaca appearing to observe the incident from the sidelines.
Despite the man's attempt to keep the bird under control, the emu ultimately managed to escape after headbutting him. The bird returned to the property, ending the brief roadside chase. The incident was captured entirely by James as he happened to be driving past, turning what began as an attempt to retrieve an escaped animal into an unusual viral video from Devon.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 26, 2026 11:03 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
