Emus banned from hotel in Australia for ‘bad behaviour’
‘They've got very sharp beaks and they're a bit like a vacuum cleaner where food is concerned,’ warns hotel owner
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Two emus have been banned from a hotel in Australia after causing “havoc”.
Siblings Kevin and Carol were given their marching orders by the Yaraka Hotel, located in the Outback in central western Queensland, following some “bad behaviour”.
“Travelers have to be very cautious with the emus, because they will poke their heads in a caravan door and drink all the coffee without spilling the mug and steal your toast, and if you have a barbecue watch out because they’ll take everything,” co-owner Chris Gimblett told CNN Travel.
“When they finish breakfast at the caravan park they come down to the hotel, and last week they figured out how to walk up the steps of the hotel.”
He added: “You don’t want to get between an emu and food.
“They’ve got very sharp beaks and they’re a bit like a vacuum cleaner where food is concerned, so we were worried about them going into the dining room and causing havoc.”
Gimblett also cited the birds’ less-than-savoury toilet habits as a reason for barring them: “Imagine a sloppy bowl of porridge that you turn over from a height of a meter – the splatter is very effective.“
The hotel has been forced to install a chain rope at the top of the entrance steps in an attempt to keep Kevin and Carol out.
They’ve also put up a sign that says: “Emus have been banned from this establishment for bad behaviour. Please let yourself through the emu barrier and then reconnect.”
The birds have been permanent residents in the small town of Yaraka ever since a wildlife enthusiast found eight abandoned eggs and helped them hatch.
While the other emus went walkabout, Kevin and Carol stuck around.
“Kevin and Carol are their names, but Carol has ended up being a male,“ clarifies Gimblett.
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