Emmanuel the emu made progress on Sunday by sipping water on his own for the first time since becoming unwell. Emmanuel is struggling for his life amid a severe avian flu epidemic that has killed most of the animals on his farm.
The emu, who earlier this year became famous on social media after pecking his owner’s phone as she recorded films about farming, sips water while being kept in a sling.
The sound of Emmanuel’s caregiver, Taylor Blake, giggling with delight at the bird’s return to independent drinking is audible.
EMMANUEL JUST DRANK WATER BY HIMSELF FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE BECOMING ILL, she tweeted on Sunday. Please don’t stop praying!
In a tweet, Blake also expressed her gratitude to her girlfriend Kristian Haggerty for helping Emmanuel in his hour of need.
I’m still crying, Haggerty added in her own tweet. This is a huge, enormous step! There is a response to prayer. Thank you all so much.
From the comfort of his sling, the bird may raise his head and move about a little.
Just three months after the two quickly rose to fame on TikTok, Blake disclosed his perilous situation on Saturday.
After getting the illness, the bird is suffering from nerve damage and is unable to feed or drink on his own. The caretaker, whose family runs Knuckle Bump Farms in South Florida, blamed the epidemic on wild geese who often enter the property at night.
The farmer said that, in an effort to rescue her feathery companion, she is hand-feeding him all of his meals, resting for less than an hour each day, and giving him subcutaneous fluids every two hours around the clock.
She went on to say that she had spoken with Florida authorities, who claimed to have informed her that Hurricane Ian’s aftermath, which left behind stagnant water puddles late last month, had also sparked the epidemic and “made the virus run wild.”
Only the endearing Emmanuel and his stablemate Rico the swan remain after the unexpected spread almost wiped out the 29-year-old video creator’s stable of more than 50 birds in only three days.
The approximately 5-foot-8, 120-pound emu has a “hard road ahead” to recovery, according to Blake, but the charismatic animal is a “fighter” despite being temporarily unable to walk due to his condition.
We lost more than 50 birds in 3 days, she said. I’m still trying to process it in my mind.
We believed we were safe until Emmanuel tragically passed away last Wednesday.
The message was accompanied by a tearjerking image of Emmanuel looking drowsy and Blake tenderly cuddling his head against hers as the once-active animal lies down on the farm floor.
The farmer said, “I am operating on around 4 hours of sleep in 4 days since all that counts to me is rescuing him,” in another post that included pictures of her and family members tending to the bird, who Blake claimed is now stable.
“At the moment, he is steady.” She said, “I am hand feeding him & giving him subcutaneous fluids every 2hrs around the clock. His neurological symptoms have gone but he still won’t eat or drink on his own.
Another image of the internet sensation revealed her to be a little frightened at the state of her buddy, which gradually deteriorated after the loss of many of her fellow emus, swans, and turkeys.
In a tweet that was accompanied by a photo of her enjoying an emotional moment with the obviously ill bird, Blake wrote, “I am doing my best to stay positive, tap into my unshakeable faith, and believe that God is in charge.”
Blake said, “I am also trying my best to be appreciative in the face of loss, for I have so much to be grateful for,” while maintaining optimism.
Additionally, Blake posted a touching image of her cuddling up to the Australian unique bird on the floor of her family’s barn, kissing him, and seeing his love reflection.
I adore you so much, Emmanuel,” the Sunday post’s caption declares.
Emmanuel has amassed more than 2 million followers on social media, mostly as a result of his spontaneous assaults on his partner’s mobile. Many of these followers have been pleading for support as the bird fights the illness that has left him with extensive nerve damage in his right leg.
Meanwhile, Blake said that since Wednesday, she has been providing him with round-the-clock care with the assistance of a veterinarian who has sedated and stabilized him.
Blake described Emmanuel’s illness, saying, “He fell down in the middle of the night and we didn’t know until the following morning.”
He spent hours laying on one side, which led to some injury, she stated.
More images of the farm’s attempts to save the sick emu were later posted by the Florida content provider.
In the pictures, farmhands and animal caretakers are shown ministering to the bird and giving him a handmade sling so he can stand.
With the device, Blake said that she is “committed” to seeing that Emmanuel recovers from this illness and that the bird may “start physical therapy.”
She stated, “I would do everything and incur any obligation to preserve his life.”
Meanwhile, a months-long avian influenza epidemic in the United States has been dubbed the deadliest in the world since 2015, when a ‘highly virulent’ strain of the illness affected more than 49 million birds.
The Department of Agriculture referred to it as “the most expensive animal health disaster” in its history at the time, and the current epidemic, which is impacting 47 million farmed birds, is almost identical to the one that occurred during the 2014–15 season.
Blake said she believes waterfowl, such as wild Egyptian geese, who often invade the family property “under the cover of night,” are to blame for the epidemic at the farm.
She is convinced that they infected the domestic birds there by spreading the sickness.
Blake described the depth of her family’s loss on Twitter, stating that “the infection struck them incredibly hard and very rapidly.” “Every single” chicken, duck, goose, swan, and turkey perished as a result of the illness.
Having said that, authorities reportedly informed the farmer that the spread could have been aided by water that Hurricane Ian scattered over the state.
The virus, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), has so far led poultry producers in 36 US states to cull flocks and shut down businesses. A rise of cases in September poses a possibility of more disruptions.
The virus has a 50% mortality rate when spread to people.
Millions of people have seen Emmanuel’s videos on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, and the bird has recently become a viral phenomenon.
In July, Emmanuel and a puppet of Blake appeared on “The Tonight Show,” and Emmanuel and Blake often send Cameo recordings to fans so they may see their pranks.
Even products with the emu’s face on them are now being offered for sale at the farm.
Blake has since expressed her thanks for Emmanuel’s help despite losing the majority of her brood, referring to the tenacious bird as her “best buddy.”
“I am eternally grateful to God that Emmanuel is still among us. That he is battling, Blake said, “my closest buddy is fighting back.”
“I’m going to be alright, we’re going to be ok,”