CNN
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Emmanuel, the emu who gained viral fame on TikTok for his attention-grabbing behavior, is in dire condition after contracting bird flu, according to his owner.
CNN previously reported on the emu, which rose to fame after owner Taylor Blake began posting videos documenting life on her small South Florida farm, Knuckle Bump Farm. Emmanuel repeatedly interrupts Blake’s other animal videos to poke her camera, Get millions of views in the process.
break post long twitter thread On Saturday, she described a “massive tragedy” caused by an outbreak of bird flu on her farm.
Wild geese that flew to the farm transmitted the virus, she said. In three days she killed over 50 of her birds, including three emus.
Then, on Wednesday, she wrote, Emmanuel also fell ill.
“Now he’s stable. His neurological symptoms have subsided, but he still won’t eat or drink on his own,” she wrote. I am feeding him and giving him subcutaneous fluid every 24 hours.
“He’s a fighter and I truly believe he will make a full recovery.”
The emu is suffering from nerve damage in his right leg and foot, Blake said.
Swans, named Emmanuel and Rico, are the only birds left on the farm today, writes Blake.
“I took time to process and grieve as much as possible while dedicating all my time to the animals and their well-being,” she wrote. , it’s hard to grieve.”
Since January 2022, highly contagious strains of bird flu have been identified in wild birds in 32 Florida counties. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. As of Friday, about 50 million poultry are affected by the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
