Lost emu spotted in National Forest

Ark the emu enjoys snacking on Cheetos, hanging out with her sister Noah and long walks in the woods.
That last emu hobby became a problem on Friday when the 11-month-old flightless bird wandered off the Eaton family farm, into the forest near Camp Wahsega Road and never returned.
“Emus are like nomads,” said Michelle Eaton. “So they’ll just keep traveling. So really this is going to be a matter of someone seeing her.”
Ark’s escape most likely occurred when she followed her friend Willow the Great Pyrenees through an accidentally unlocked gate.
Willow returned. Ark did not.
Soon after the emu went missing, Michelle posted a picture of Ark, also known as Arkie, on Facebook.
“If you see her, please don’t chase her,” read the post. “If you can, get her [to] stay in a safe spot or fenced in area. She likes any kind of snack with cheese."
Days passed with no emu sighting.
Then on Monday morning, local trail runner Jason Martin came across an unexpected sight near Coopers Gap in the Chattahoochee National Forest. As he was summiting Long Mountain, there was an emu, standing just off the forest road.
“That's when I saw Arkie,” he told The Nugget. “I thought it odd, took a picture. As soon as I had cell service I sent it to my wife. That's when she told me Michelle was looking for her.”
Martin hustled back up the mountain, but Arkie had moved on.
“By the time I got back, she was gone,” he said.
Martin said he suspects that Arkie headed for Hidden Lake or Gooch Gap.
Meanwhile, Eaton is still spreading the word about her feathered family member on Facebook. And she's providing some helpful hints on what to do in the event of an Arkie sighting.
“She loves Cheetos, Cheez-Its, Goldfish, Honey Nut Cheerios,” she said. “And she’s friendly, but I don’t know how she’s reacting after being gone for four days.”
Eaton said she also understands that coming across the five-and-half-foot tall bird out of the blue can be startling.
“She’s a little dinosaur,” she said with a laugh.
So if you spot an emu on the run, call the Eaton family at 706-429-3199.
Stay with her if you can, but don’t chase her.
And when it comes to making friends, it won’t hurt if you have some Cheetos on hand.