The saga surrounding “Eno the Emu” came to an end on Thursday when the emu died during an attempt to capture and relocate the bird, according to Orange County Animal Services.

“We had hoped for a better outcome,” said Orange County Animal Services Director Bob Marotto in a release. “We did all we knew to do. We consulted with zoo experts to determine the best course. Unfortunately, she did not respond to our efforts.”

The tale of “Eno the Emu” became famous worldwide as the flightless bird eluded capture attempts from authorities for months. The bird was initially spotted in Chatham County, but traveled north to Hillsborough where it was seen several times.

Media outlets such as CNN, the New York Times, and HuffPost even picked up on the story.

Orange County embraced the hype surrounding “Eno the Emu.” The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau incorporated “Eno” into its advertising campaign and the Expedition School in Hillsborough turned the emu into a teachable moment for its students.

https://twitter.com/WCHLChapelboro/status/1172226932303417344

Although animal control services reached out to known emu owners in the area, no one came forward to claim responsibility for “Eno.”

The plan to capture the emu, developed in conjunction with a board-certified avian veterinarian and two specialists from the North Carolina Zoo, who were present throughout the attempt, involved sedating the bird to make it easy to transport it.

The bird did not respond to the low dose of sedatives, Marotto said, but eventually suffered “an event” while being restrained and died. The team tried to revive the bird through CPR but was unsuccessful.

“Everyone is devastated,” Marotto said.

“We were concerned it could come out on the roadway and cause an accident or be injured itself, and we were also concerned with the opening of hunting season. We didn’t feel leaving it alone was a viable option.”

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