Emmanuel the emu has been left fighting for his life after a bird flu outbreak struck his farm in Florida.
The beloved bird, who rose to fame after his owner shared adorable pictures and videos of him on social media, is reportedly in huge trouble after avian flu hit Knuckle Bump Farms in South Florida.
As Taylor Blake, Emmanuel’s caretaker, revealed, the flu had already killed as much as 99 percent of the bird population on the farm.
After being affected by the virus himself, Emmanuel was left with severe nerve damage rendering him unable to eat or drink on his own.
Explaining the reason behind the sudden outbreak of avian flu at the farm, Blake suggested wild geese that frequently invade their property at night are to be blamed for spreading the disease.
While Emmanuel is still in critical condition, his caretaker claimed the 120-pound 5-foot bird is a real “fighter” who has a good chance of pulling through.
“We lost every single chicken and duck on our farm. We lost all of our geese. We lost our 2 female black swans. We lost both of our turkeys,” Blake explained.
“We lost 50+ birds in 3 days. I am still trying to wrap my head around it. We thought we were out of the woods when Emmanuel unexpectedly went down this past Wednesday.”
Speaking of her family’s efforts to save Emmanuel, she added: “I am running on about 4 hrs of sleep in 4 days bc all that matters to me is saving him.
“Currently, he is stable. His neurological symptoms have subsided but he still won’t eat or drink on his own. I am hand feeding him & giving him subcutaneous fluids every 2 hrs around the clock.”
Despite the tragedy that struck the farm swiftly and unexpectedly, Blake admitted she feels grateful for what they have as she vowed to do everything in her power to save as many lives as possible.
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