The animal sanctuary that agreed to take in “Eno the Emu” is defending the actions of Orange County Animal Services in the wake of the bird’s death.

“Eno” was initially spotted in Chatham County in late June, but traveled north to Hillsborough where it was seen several times. The bird did not respond to a low dose of sedatives in attempt to capture and relocate it, county officials said Thursday. The animal then suffered “an event” while being restrained and died.

In a Facebook video posted yesterday, Alesja Daehnrich from The Blind Spot Animal Sanctuary in Rougemont explained the reasoning for attempting to relocate the flightless bird.

“This bird could have gone on the road and caused an accident,” she says. “So it was neither safe for the bird nor people.”

In the video, Daehnrich mentions several other factors for relocating the bird. Predators like coyotes are frequent in Orange County. She also says the bird was likely bred and raised at a farm and relied on care. While “Eno” managed to stay alive on its own during the summer months, winter would have been a different story.

“These animals rely on us humans to provide them with proper nutrition, safety, shelter, water and veterinary care,” the animal sanctuary wrote on its Facebook page. “This emu had nothing other than animal control feeding it when they finally established a spot.”

The emu’s death caused a wave of reaction on social media, mostly from people upset at the bird’s fate as animal control officials were attempting to capture it.

“We fully understand why you are upset; we all are devastated,” the animal sanctuary wrote in response to another user. “You need to understand that this animal was not a wild animal and wouldn’t have survived in the wild.”

Daehnrich says it was the right thing for animal control to get involved and try to get “Eno” to safety.

“They thought about everything,” she says. “From getting a veterinarian on board, zookeepers who handle these animals on a regular basis, and they secured a sanctuary where the bird could go once they catch it.”

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