NPR –
Emmanuel, a widely beloved emu who went viral on TikTok, is in dire condition battling the avian flu.
Taylor Blake’s family farm in South Florida, Knuckle Bump Farms, has lost more than 50 birds in just three days, Blake wrote on Twitter Saturday. Only two birds survived.
“I am still trying to wrap my head around it,” Blake wrote. “We thought we were out of the woods, when Emmanuel unexpectedly went down this past Wednesday.”
Emmanuel became a viral sensation for his behavior interrupting Blake’s TikTok videos and attacking the phone while Blake was filming.
Blake is looking for an avian specialist who can treat Emmanuel, who has suffered nerve damage in his right leg and foot, according to the Twitter thread. In the meantime, Blake posted a photo to Twitter of her helping Emmanuel start physical therapy using a homemade sling.
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