Mystery surrounds whereabouts of huge 'emu' spotted on loose in Doncaster

The massive long-necked bird startled walkers and cyclists who spotted it wandering in and around Sprotbrough and Cusworth yesterday afternoon.

Both South Yorkshire Police and the RSPCA were bombarded with calls about the bird – but have been unable to establish if it is still on the loose or has been reunited with its owner.

A police spokesman said: “The last sightings suggested it was heading back towards where it was believed to live in Sprotbrough, but we are unable to confirm if it was reunited with its owner as it ran off from officers and we then could not locate it.

“No one came forward from our post on social media to say they were the owners.”

Meanwhile, an RSPCA spokesman said: “We've advised that we will come out to try to catch it if it is in an enclosed area it can't escape from, so it sounds like it's still at large at the moment.”

Rachel Walker, who spotted the animal while walking her dog, said she was stunned when she saw it making its way through the field near Richmond Hill School.

She said: "I was just walking home with my mum and dog, it’s our usual route and saw it in the distance, wasn’t what we usually see.”

It was later spotted in Newlands Park, Sprotbrough and on the Trans Pennine Trail near Cusworth.