Zoo hopes to reunite sock with owner after it was eaten by curious emu

A stray green sock dropped at Wellington Zoo in New Zealand became a snack for Georgia the emu. The zoo is hoping to reunite the sock with its owner, if they still want it after what it's been through, that is. A visitor to the zoo alerted staff the sock had been picked up and eaten by Georgia who had mistaken it for food.



Veterinary science manager Dr Lisa Argilla says socks don't normally feature in the diet of emus, with its nutritional value minimal at best. "Emus generally eat a variety of plants and insects, and play an important role in seed dispersal – but a sock is pretty unusual," she says. "Like many animals, emus are curious birds and will explore new items in their environment. Unfortunately, sometimes this includes things which are unhealthy for them to eat.

"It shows how important it is to make sure we keep belongings with us, clean up after ourselves and leave natural environments as we find them." The zoo's vet team took scans of Georgia and found the sock in part of her digestive tract, and while it wasn't causing any problems for food getting through, they took action to ensure it was removed before it made it to her intestines. Leaving it to pass through the bird could have caused a blockage, Dr Argilla said.



An endoscopy was performed on Georgia to remove the sock, which involved using a gastroscope with a camera specifically designed to examine the gastrointestinal tract. The camera allowed the vets to see the sock and use forceps to get the sock out of her stomach. The procedure was a success, with Georgia not needing any further treatment and getting right back to her normal self. "Her appetite is just as keen as usual," Dr Argilla added.