Hailstorm kills 21-year-old emu, injures another animal at Missouri zoo

The severe storm dropped softball-sized hail stones on the Springfield, Missouri, area on Tuesday night.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — During the worst hailstorms ever to hit Missouri on Tuesday night, staff at the Dickerson Zoo Park tried to move animals inside, including Adam, a 21-year-old female emu — but an emu’s natural behavior is to lie down and take cover, said zoo spokesperson Joey Powell.

Adam died from head trauma. And Oscar, a 17-year-old type of flightless bird called a rhea, was injured by the softball-sized hail but was receiving pain medication and doing well Wednesday morning.

This post was originally published on this site

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top