Emu: 210 Days From Egg To Survivor

Look at these feet. They belong to a modern-day dinosaur, the emu. In the emu world, the normal rules of nature are completely upside down. The females are the tough bosses who defend the territory. But when it comes to raising a family, the males do all the hard work. It starts with finding the perfect real estate. The male searches for a nice shady spot under a bush. He clears the dry grass, digs a shallow hole, and makes a soft bed. He even sits down to test it out. The female arrives to inspect his work. She approves. Day one, she lays her first egg. It looks like a giant two-pound green avocado. Day three, a second egg is laid. But here is the problem. Mom is a bit irresponsible. She doesn't want to sit on the eggs all day. She gets hungry and walks away, leaving the nest completely unprotected. Big mistake. In the Australian outback, an unguarded nest is a free breakfast. A hungry monitor lizard quickly finds the eggs and breaks the thick shells. And to finish the job, a wedge-tailed eagle drops in for the leftovers. The family is destroyed before it even begins. Lesson learned. The couple returns, cleans up the broken mess, and hits the reset button. The days start over. Day one, the female lays a new egg. Day four, now there are three eggs. This time, mom is much more careful. She is sensitive to danger and stays close until her job is done. Day 15, the nest is full. And now comes the great betrayal. The mother simply walks away. She leaves the territory forever. From this moment, 100% of the responsibility is on the father. For the next 56 days, he will not stand up. He won't eat a single leaf, and he won't drink a drop of water. Emus have an incredible superpower to survive extreme starvation and thirst, living entirely on their stored body fat. Day 56, the long wait is over. The first chick pops out. And look, a second one right behind it. Because the eggs do not start growing until the father sits on them, all 10 to 15 eggs will hatch at the exact same time, usually within three to five days. Look at them. They don't look like their dad at all. They look like fuzzy little watermelons. These black and white racing stripes are the perfect camouflage to hide them from predators in the dry grass. Day 60, dad finally stretches his shaking legs. He takes the kids out for their first meal. He doesn't put food in their mouths. Instead, he points at the ground, teaching them to eat fresh grass, seeds, and juicy bugs. Day 75. Wait, what are they eating now? Rocks? Yes. Emus do not have teeth. The father teaches them to swallow small stones. These rocks stay in their stomachs and act like a natural blender, grinding up hard seeds so they can digest them. Day 90, danger comes from the sky. An eagle attacks. The chicks must use their speed and camouflage to scatter and survive. By day 100, the family finds a rare puddle of water, a very lucky day in the desert. Day 130, a wild dingo stalks the family. It thinks the chicks are an easy snack, but it forgot about dad. During this time, the father is highly aggressive. He charges forward and delivers a lightning-fast kick. Armed with dinosaur-like claws, an emu's kick can easily break a dog's ribs. The dingo quickly decides to become a vegetarian today. Day 150. The kids are growing up fast. They are now half the size of their father. Their cute racing stripes are completely gone, replaced by dusty brown adult feathers. By day 180, they are basically teenagers. They are fast, strong, and ready to survive on their own. Day 210, the seven-month mark. The father's job is officially done. His protective instincts naturally turn off. He simply turns around and walks away to start a new life, from an abandoned green egg to a survivor of the harsh outback. This is the amazing journey of the emu.