In 1932, Australia faced an unexpected enemy, more than 20,000 emus. Armed soldiers and machine guns were deployed, but after a strange forty-five day battle, the emus would be victorious.
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Sources for this episode:
Beyer, Greg. “The Great Emu War: When Australians Lost to Flightless Birds | TheCollector.” TheCollector, https://www.facebook.com/TheOfficialCollector/, https://www.thecollector.com/great-emu-war/. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.Brink, Bobbi. “Fun Facts About Emus, Llamas, Pigs & Other Non-Exotic Friends at Our Sanctuary - Lions Tigers and Bears.” Lions Tigers and Bears, https://www.facebook.com/lionstigerandbears, 5 May 2025, https://www.lionstigersandbears.org/fun-facts-about-emus-llamas-pigs-other-non-exotic-friends-at-our-sanctuary/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20572958767&gbraid=0AAAAADrfe_AiooWICobbinU9tgsNeuCnl&gclid=CjwKCAiAmKnKBhBrEiwAaqAnZykdYSxE_.“Heritage Council of WA - Places Database.” InHerit Live, https://inherit.dplh.wa.gov.au/public/inventory/printsinglerecord/f53e5025-5e04-4435-ba3d-07c84c92b81f. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026. Emu Barrier FenceKulik, Rebecca. “Emu War Australian History.” Brittanica , https://www.britannica.com/topic/Emu-War . Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.McLendon, Russell. “8 Amazing Facts About Emus.” TreeHugger, 17 Sept. 2020, https://www.treehugger.com/emu-facts-5075359 .“Soldier Settlement.” National Museum Australia, 18 Sept. 2024, https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/soldier-settlement .“The Bizarre Story of When Australia Went to War with Emus—and Lost | National Geographic.” History, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/australian-emu-war-history. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.“The Great Emu War of 1932 | Everything You Need to Know!” Nomads World - Youth Adventure Travel Company, 13 Sept. 2017, https://nomadsworld.com/great-emu-war/.
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