Full Transcript for The Great Emu War

--> 00:02:01.280 Yes. 00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:03.680 All of the emus are in Australia. 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:04.319 Really? 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:06.239 Well, all the wild ones at least. 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:07.200 Huh. 00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:15.039 Um, okay, so it takes place specifically in Western Australia in 1932. 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:19.759 For those who don't know, Western Australia is Australia's largest state. 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:20.960 Do you know the capital? 00:02:21.599 --> 00:02:22.000 Why am I? 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:24.479 Is it wait, hold on, I think I might know it. 00:02:24.639 --> 00:02:26.240 Is it um Perth? 00:02:26.879 --> 00:02:35.439 Woo! Woo! Guys, Bianca has traveled in Australia, so everyone needs to know that. 00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:37.360 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:41.280 Um, I didn't go to Western Australia. 00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:42.319 No one has. 00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:43.919 No, it's very far. 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:46.719 I have only been to Melbourne. 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:49.039 All right, enough bragging. 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:52.319 So let's dive in. 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:58.479 Up until the late 1800s, that area had some of the richest biodiversity in the world. 00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:05.039 So, like forests, wetlands, huge eucalyptus woodlands, lots of water sources. 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:06.319 Gorgeous. 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:08.319 Do you think that lasted? 00:03:10.719 --> 00:03:17.039 After World War I, large numbers of veterans were given land by the Australian government to farm. 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:22.240 So, naturally, they cleared huge areas for wheat production and livestock. 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:24.080 And now it's a desert. 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:24.800 No. 00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:30.639 Well, I I don't know the percentage, but a lot of it is desert, regardless. 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:35.759 This area, okay, so they cleared huge areas for wheat production and livestock. 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:42.719 This area became known as the wheat belt, and it still is, and it's around 6% of Western Australia. 00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:46.960 Today, around 90% of the native vegetation is gone. 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:47.919 Jesus. 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:57.599 Well, that sounds about right for people. 00:03:57.840 --> 00:03:58.240 Uh-huh. 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:12.240 When the Great Depression hit in 1929, the government basically told the farmers to grow more wheat, and they promised to help them through subsidies, tax incentives, loans, la la la, other forms of support. 00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:14.719 However, they did not. 00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:25.439 So wheat prices started to fall, and by October 1932, the situation got so bad that the farmers threatened to refuse to deliver the wheat. 00:04:25.759 --> 00:04:27.040 Yeah, that sounds about right. 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:29.519 So that's a little bit of background. 00:04:29.680 --> 00:04:30.959 Now for the fun part. 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:32.079 Yeah, bring in the emu. 00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:33.360 Yeah, I'm bringing them in. 00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:34.480 I'm bringing them in. 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:36.800 All right, some emu facts. 00:04:36.959 --> 00:04:38.879 First of all, they are the second longest. 00:04:39.680 --> 00:04:40.319 Sorry. 00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:41.199 What? 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:52.160 We don't have to include this in the podcast, but I'm just really enjoying the transition from the Great Depression was really bad and the government lied. 00:04:52.319 --> 00:04:53.839 Let's talk about emus. 00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:56.000 Wait, I can actually transition better. 00:04:56.240 --> 00:04:56.879 Go on. 00:04:57.360 --> 00:04:59.759 But you know who was thriving? 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:01.759 Our friends, the emus. 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:02.480 Nice. 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:03.040 Okay. 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:03.759 Lois. 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:09.759 So emus are the second largest bird in the world, second only to ostrich. 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:10.399 Nice. 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:13.600 I don't know why this whole time I'm treating you like we're molested. 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:18.879 But I am going to keep going with it because I feel like you're gonna get a lot of it. 00:05:19.040 --> 00:05:20.319 So we're just gonna keep going. 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:24.959 I I promise I'll it's only so I feel like I'm gonna get a treat after this. 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:25.920 No. 00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:26.879 No. 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:29.040 My fridge is pretty empty. 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:30.319 All right. 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:32.959 Um, so yes, they're only found in Australia. 00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:41.439 They can grow up to over six feet and they can travel great distances and can sprint at 30 miles per hour. 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:42.399 Jesus. 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:48.560 Uh, needless to say, they have no natural predators, and I just want to throw in this fun fact. 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:50.800 The dads take care of the eggs. 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:54.160 They incubate them and then raise them for months. 00:05:54.639 --> 00:05:55.120 Cute. 00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:56.319 It's nice. 00:05:56.639 --> 00:05:58.160 We love a stay-at-home diet. 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:02.480 Have you ever eaten an emu egg or an ostrich eye? 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:06.000 Uh, I feel like I've had like an ostrich burger. 00:06:07.120 --> 00:06:07.439 Okay. 00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:09.120 Sorry. 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:13.759 I meant I said egg, but no, I went straight for the mate. 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:14.240 Okay. 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:15.040 I don't know. 00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:15.839 I feel bad. 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:16.959 I don't know why I feel bad. 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:18.079 I shouldn't feel bad. 00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:22.800 But emus and ostriches, but that's okay. 00:06:22.879 --> 00:06:23.199 They're birds. 00:06:23.439 --> 00:06:24.959 They're yeah, but

they're beautiful. 00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:28.480 We're gonna start picking animals uh about who's beautiful. 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:29.839 I wanna eat the ugos. 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:30.639 Alright. 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:32.240 I'm looking at me, chicken. 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:33.680 I'm just kidding, I love chicken. 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:34.079 Okay. 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:44.079 Do you remember that time where we were on a road trip and we went to that Amish um supermarket, and I was like, I've never had pickled quail eggs. 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:51.439 And we brought them as a present to my aunt, and then I put them on the table and proceeded to eat all of them. 00:06:51.920 --> 00:06:53.040 You ate so many. 00:06:55.680 --> 00:06:59.360 I don't think I've ever like I it it made me feel sick. 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:00.000 Do you know what I mean? 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:06.000 I like them a lot, and I've tried to look for them, and I I've even considered pickling my own, but I don't think it's a good look. 00:07:06.240 --> 00:07:10.240 Okay, anyways, uh back to our main event. 00:07:10.800 --> 00:07:24.160 So emus are migrating birds who live in huge colonies, and emus happen to love open plains, and especially if it's supplied with tons of extra water for livestock. 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:27.439 When they arrived there, 20,000 emus strong. 00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:30.160 They were like yes. 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:33.360 Wait, can you say that in an Australian accent? 00:07:33.600 --> 00:07:33.839 No. 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:34.399 Okay. 00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:43.439 So the farmers had put up wildlife fences uh to keep out rabbits and dingos, as well as the emus, though they weren't a problem uh quite yet. 00:07:43.600 --> 00:07:47.439 And they were effective for a while, but eventually they were full of holes. 00:07:47.680 --> 00:07:51.519 And you can't keep a six-foot bird away with a dingy little fence. 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:56.399 And as a result, there was nothing to prevent emos from beaching the fences. 00:07:56.720 --> 00:08:06.560 I just want to go on tiny little rant about how historically horrible Australia is at wildlife management. 00:08:06.800 --> 00:08:07.600 Oh my god. 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:14.560 So they kept like, it's not they're not the only country to do this, but they kept bringing over invasive species to control other invasive species. 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:16.879 And then like the bullfrogs? 00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:18.480 Oh, how'd you know? 00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:24.720 If you think Emily, we have a mutual friend, shout out to Emily, um, who's obsessed with frogs. 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:32.559 If you think she hasn't made me watch that documentary, I don't know what documentary you got the frog ROM, but I was impressed by the fact that you knew it was a frog. 00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:34.559 Yeah, it was a bullfrog, and they brought it. 00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:36.159 It wasn't a bullfrog? 00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:36.720 Close. 00:08:36.799 --> 00:08:38.000 It was a cane toad. 00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:40.080 Cane toad, yes, sorry. 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:44.320 Cane toad, and it they brought them in to like take care of some pests. 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:53.360 Yes, and the the fucking cane toads ended up destroying so much, and they're still a problem today. 00:08:53.759 --> 00:08:56.559 Just because one guy was like, we should bring in some cane toads. 00:08:56.799 --> 00:08:57.279 Yes. 00:08:57.440 --> 00:09:14.080 Um, well, they brought them in to control beetles um that were damaging so sugarcane crops, and of course they failed, and they are poisonous, so they poisoned a bunch of like big predators like crocodiles and stuff. 00:09:14.639 --> 00:09:23.360 Um, let's see, let's let's do a few more failures because it's really fun to point out uh colonist failures. 00:09:23.600 --> 00:09:25.279 Um, this isn't personal. 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:28.720 If anyone from Australia is listening, I would go way harder on the US. 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:32.240 I actually uh would like to clarify it is quite personal. 00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:33.440 Please continue. 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:34.000 Okay. 00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:40.639 So the red fox, uh brought over by the British for fox hunting, a lot of places did that. 00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:42.159 I feel like the states did that too. 00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:50.159 Um, they became a number one problem, and they had uh impact on small marsupials and ground nesting birds. 00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:53.679 And then this is a very new discovery. 00:09:53.840 --> 00:09:54.879 I did not know this. 00:09:55.120 --> 00:10:00.799 So they um imported camels for transport because like a lot of desert. 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:11.519 It's not it's not a bad idea, but they damaged like a shit ton of vegetation, and it's the largest uh population of camels in the world. 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:13.519 Oh cool trivia. 00:10:14.399 --> 00:10:15.519 Are you not shocked? 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:23.200 I'm just more like I'm more just flabbergasted that they that there's multiple instances of this. 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:32.559 Like, dude, there's like I wrote down like 10 and then I was like, this could be a whole nother podcast, and it just anyways, it doesn't matter. 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:36.080 They they are very bad at this. 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:38.159 Like very bad at this. 00:10:38.639 --> 00:10:43.200 Alright, so we're getting to the Great Emu War of 1932. 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:52.879 So the farmers reached out to the Australian government, and because they were our war veterans, naturally they requested gun machines and help from the army. 00:10:53.440 --> 00:10:55.600 God, but the government agrees. 00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:58.720 They send over like two soldiers and a commander. 00:10:58.879 --> 00:11:00.559 Their commander's name. 00:11:00.799 --> 00:11:13.120 Now I'm not gonna try to pronounce this correctly because a white man having like

20,000 names in one name is unreasonable, but I'm gonna do it anyways because I it's a fun time. 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:18.639 Major Gwynid Perves Wine Abre Meredith. 00:11:19.600 --> 00:11:20.960 Uh, we're gonna call him Meredith. 00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:22.639 It sounds funny just because it's fun. 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:25.440 It sounds like you just said something backwards. 00:11:25.759 --> 00:11:28.159 Like it sounds like you encountered to me. 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:30.000 Can you recite the alphabet backwards? 00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:31.120 Okay, I'm gonna tell you. 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:33.840 Let me let me just tell you how the first one's spelled. 00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:34.399 Okay. 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:38.000 G-W-Y-N-Y-D-D. 00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:40.879 Is that not fucking unreasonable? 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:42.720 Respectfully, I decline. 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:43.919 Gwyn Gwynidas. 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:47.519 Wait, they brought in the army to fight the email. 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:49.679 Two soldiers and a commander. 00:11:49.759 --> 00:11:51.279 Let's not let's not get too crazy. 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:58.000 All right, so they bring them in and they were equipped with two light machine guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition. 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:00.960 Jesus, so they're just planning to mow them down? 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:02.000 Yeah, of course. 00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:07.840 Their objective uh was, of course, the mass extermination of a native species. 00:12:08.159 --> 00:12:14.559 So the soldiers were told to collect a hundred emu skins so their feathers could be used to make hats for light horsemen. 00:12:14.799 --> 00:12:29.600 Okay, so they uh traveled to Campion where about 50 emus were sighted, but the birds were out of range, and the local settlers tried to herd the emus into an ambush, but the birds split into small groups and ran so that they were a difficult target. 00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:30.639 They outsmarted you. 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:32.240 Yes. 00:12:32.639 --> 00:12:32.960 Okay. 00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:38.559 A few days later, Meredith set up an ambush where about a thousand emus were spotted. 00:12:38.639 --> 00:12:42.320 They waited until the birds were close enough to shoot, but the gun jammed. 00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:45.600 After only a few birds were killed, the rest scattered. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:48.960 Jammed, or did an emu have a pick at it before. 00:12:49.919 --> 00:12:51.759 We only know what they tell us. 00:12:51.919 --> 00:12:56.000 Jammed, but still that's such a you went all the way there, dude. 00:12:56.240 --> 00:13:01.360 Alright, so they moved further south where the birds were reported to be fairly tame. 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:05.279 Uh there was very limited success. 00:13:05.679 --> 00:13:11.600 Army observers wrote, and I quote, each pack seems to have its own leader now. 00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:23.679 A big black plume bird which stands fully six feet high and keeps watch while his

mates carry out the work of destruction and warns them of our approach. 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:24.639 Hell yeah. 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:30.799 Sounds a lot more organized than whoever's like letting in, letting out animals in Australia. 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:32.000 I have my full support. 00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:41.840 Yeah, I know Australians are known for how good they are at our just alienated or Okay. 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:44.879 This doesn't even come close to the most ridiculous thing. 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:45.279 Okay. 00:13:45.679 --> 00:13:46.320 Here we go. 00:13:46.559 --> 00:13:53.840 At one point, these fucking weirdos mounted a gun on a truck, but it was ineffective surprise. 00:13:54.480 --> 00:13:55.120 But why? 00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:57.279 I love the reasons why this doesn't work out. 00:13:57.519 --> 00:14:03.360 The truck couldn't catch up to the birds, and the ride was so rough they couldn't fire any shots. 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:08.720 So what they didn't know how they did all this like recon in ambush. 00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:14.080 You don't know, you didn't counter like think about how fast does this truck go? 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:17.519 How fast have we observed that emus go? 00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:19.440 This land is quite rough. 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:21.440 They just went for it. 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:34.159 This is what you're saying, all of this, and I'm going to a place of Mad Max, and I'm just imagining like them on a truck trying to catch up to these emus and like a guy with a guitar just hanging off the back of the truck. 00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:34.559 Yeah. 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:37.759 I bet it jammed too, but they couldn't. 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:38.159 No. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:38.879 They stopped. 00:14:39.039 --> 00:14:40.799 They can't list up all of their failures. 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:41.519 All right. 00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:49.200 By November 8th, six days in, 2,500 rounds of ammunition had been fired. 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:54.080 The number of birds killed is uncertain, but estimates say it was 50. 00:14:54.399 --> 00:15:00.080 Meredith's official report noted that his men had suffered no casualties except for their dignity. 00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:04.000 I love that he had to point out that there were no casualties. 00:15:04.320 --> 00:15:05.679 Except for their dignity. 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:06.480 No kidding. 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:09.360 Yeah, that is a good that's a casualty for sure. 00:15:09.679 --> 00:15:12.320 Alright, I'm gonna have you read this. 00:15:12.559 --> 00:15:18.639 Um, it's an ornithologist called Dominic Serventy summarizing this operation. 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:19.200 Okay. 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:22.320 I'm not gonna read it in Australian. 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:23.679 I was gonna and then I said no. 00:15:23.759 --> 00:15:24.080 No, no. 00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:31.120 The machine gunners' dreams of point blank fire into the masses of emus were soon dissipated. 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:46.799 The emu command had e no the emu command had evidently ordered guerrilla tactics, and its unwieldy army soon split up into innumerable small units that made use of the military equipment uneconomic. 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:52.879 A crestfallen field force, therefore, withdrew from combat area after about a month. 00:15:53.039 --> 00:15:55.200 They did this for a month. 00:15:55.679 --> 00:15:56.639 So far. 00:15:57.039 --> 00:16:01.200 So so far, emus are winning by a lot. 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:10.480 And it like I'm giving credit to like emu intelligence, but also sounds like all they did was just like split up and that just utterly confounded. 00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:15.279 Split up and ran faster than their one vehicle that they brought down. 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:16.799 Yes. 00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:19.120 No, no, you forgot someone's standing. 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:23.440 They're treating them truly like like they are an organized army. 00:16:23.600 --> 00:16:25.919 I don't think this was not written sarcastically. 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:30.720 No, I they're like there's a leader and they go and they fuck up our crops while the leader is standing there. 00:16:31.039 --> 00:16:33.279 We need eyes on Australia right now. 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:35.279 Like, what are they doing now? 00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:46.879 Following the negative coverage of the events in the media, obviously, which included claims that only a few emus had died, they withdrew the military personnel and the guns. 00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:53.039 After the withdrawal, Major Meredith compared the emus to Zulus, which are native South Africans. 00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:53.600 Oh god. 00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:57.759 And commented on the agility of the Emus, even while badly wounded. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:02.399 I'm gonna make you read one more thing, but I promise after this you don't have to read anything. 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:05.839 If we had a military division with Oh, wait, this is uh Meredith. 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:06.880 This is Meredith. 00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:07.599 Yes. 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:15.519 If we had a military division with the bullet carrying capacity of these birds, it would face any army in the world. 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:19.680 So Meredith is such a dramatic girly. 00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:20.880 Satire. 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:25.839 They can face machine guns with the invulnerability of tanks. 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:30.559 They are like Zulus whom even dumb dumb bullets could not stop. 00:17:31.759 --> 00:17:38.319 I mean, so hugely inappropriate, but also like what a great day for pro-kills. 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:42.480 I think it's all a compliment for the Zulus and the emus. 00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:56.720 I don't love that he compared um emus to black people, but I also understand that he sounds like he's been pretty warped by defeating. 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:01.119 So not well. 00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:01.680 No. 00:18:01.920

--> 00:18:04.160 All right, second attempt. 00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:08.720 So it's November 12th, 1932. 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:11.519 Uh, this is only a couple weeks after the first attempt. 00:18:11.759 --> 00:18:14.720 The emu attacks on crops continued. 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:16.960 Farmers asked for support again. 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:20.240 The Minister of Defense approved another attack. 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:25.519 Meredith comes back because apparently there was a lack of experienced machine gunners. 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:28.160 Again, what did they do in World War II? 00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:30.319 Did they just go out there with little spears? 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:31.680 What were you doing? 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:34.240 They don't know how to use machine guns? 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:34.720 I don't know. 00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:37.680 So Meredith is like their only hope. 00:18:39.200 --> 00:18:43.519 They were a little more successful for the first two days, but the third not so much. 00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:51.200 Unfortunately, by December 2nd, the soldiers were killing approximately 100 emus per week. 00:18:51.359 --> 00:18:51.519 No. 00:18:51.759 --> 00:18:58.799 In Meredith's final report, he claimed 986 confirmed kills and 2,500 wounded birds. 00:18:59.039 --> 00:18:59.920 Fuck this guy. 00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:00.640 Sure. 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:07.200 But think about how little this is out of 20,000. 00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:11.440 And also, the numbers are highly disputed by historians. 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:13.200 It's presumed much, much less. 00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:13.759 For sure. 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:15.359 Meredith really needed this. 00:19:15.599 --> 00:19:17.680 Meredith needed a win so bad. 00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:18.240 I know. 00:19:18.559 --> 00:19:21.200 His kids were not respecting him at home. 00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:22.720 No one was. 00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:25.279 Okay, so that's it for that. 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:30.559 Every few years, the farmers of the region requested military help, but they were turned down. 00:19:30.799 --> 00:19:33.119 So like every couple years, they were like, Can we get more? 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:34.559 Can we get Meredith back? 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:35.200 Meredith. 00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:37.920 And they were like, no, don't make us do it. 00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:38.880 Don't make us pay. 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:47.920 Conservationists there protested the cull as extermination of the rare emu and an attempt at the mass destruction of the birds. 00:19:48.160 --> 00:19:53.839 They eventually got better at uh exclusion fences and were more successful at keeping them out. 00:19:54.319 --> 00:20:04.000 The Sunday Herald reported in 1953 the incongruity of the whole thing had the effect for once of arousing public sympathy for the emu. 00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:04.480 Yeah. 00:20:04.640 --> 00:20:06.400 So this is part of like how they won. 00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:13.279 The emus like all you did was not be successful, and now people love them even more when before they were like pests. 00:20:13.599 --> 00:20:15.279 Their general knew what they were doing. 00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:18.960 The general emu was like, boys, it's a long game. 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:20.720 It's a psychological war. 00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:22.720 What we do out here on this field. 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:26.480 It matters to just one drop, just one drop in the bucket right now. 00:20:26.799 --> 00:20:27.599 Do not stop. 00:20:28.240 --> 00:20:29.759 We're gonna continue. 00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:34.880 Um so they won the war, essentially. 00:20:35.039 --> 00:20:35.759 They won. 00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:38.240 They they were undefeated, basically. 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:46.640 The casualties were not a lot, and emus are and have always been classified as least concerned bitches globally. 00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:51.440 Uh their population has not decreased in the slightest. 00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:52.799 Suck on that, Meredith. 00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:54.400 Thriving. 00:20:54.720 --> 00:20:58.240 Uh, that is my emu story. 00:20:58.480 --> 00:20:59.200 I love it. 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:00.000 It's so good. 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:00.559 So much. 00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:08.960 They just like it's like everything on the internet basically says they're they went to war and emus won. 00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:11.920 I mean, yeah, the emus won. 00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:13.680 How could you not win? 00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:18.880 I mean, it's you're trying to battle a beautiful majestic animal. 00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:21.599 You're gonna look like the dick. 00:21:21.839 --> 00:21:23.119 Also, they're really big. 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:25.680 They're really big and cool and scary. 00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:27.279 Like, they are pretty scary. 00:21:27.519 --> 00:21:32.400 They are, but like this whole story is just I feel like Meredith jammed his own gun. 00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:35.519 Meredith was on his own journey. 00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:36.240 Yeah. 00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:48.799 I I would argue I'd love to see like the POV, like a film just like from him and him possibly falling in love with an emu, yeah, and then the gun jammed conveniently. 00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:50.799 Oh Meredith. 00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:53.519 Is this really a story about Meredith? 00:21:53.680 --> 00:21:55.920 I hate that, but I don't know. 00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:58.400 I think it's always been a story about Meredith. 00:21:58.640 --> 00:22:05.519 Maybe Meredith is representational, maybe about the folly of man versus nature. 00:22:06.079 --> 00:22:15.279 Like you're gonna look like a fucking idiot if you try to curb an entire freakily smart animal species. 00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:18.960 Or get rid of beetles and bring over other species. 00:22:19.279 --> 00:22:23.359 Yeah, my my you know what standing back, Nicole? 00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:24.000 Yes, yes. 00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:24.559 Yeah. 00:22:24.720 --> 00:22:41.759 If we can take a step back, I think my main concern is why are you hanging your hat on this and not more concerned about the other animals that you if we're gonna start killing animals, which I don't like, but why not start on the animals that you brought in and that are. 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:49.519 No, cane toads are you can't go to war with a fucking toad. 00:22:49.759 --> 00:22:51.200 No, especially if they're poison. 00:22:51.440 --> 00:22:52.720 Can you imagine Meredith there? 00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:55.359 He would be lost in the jungle tearing out his hair. 00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:56.400 No, he's still there. 00:22:56.480 --> 00:23:06.480 Some say if you if you're very quiet on the desert plains, you can hear Meredith screaming, ah, one second, it's my gun. 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:09.200 Don't fuck with emus. 00:23:09.440 --> 00:23:10.160 Moral of the story. 00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:11.519 Definitely don't fuck with ostriches. 00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:13.279 Don't fuck with you in that area. 00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:13.920 No. 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:17.519 Or we haven't even talked about cossaries. 00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:21.839 Uh-oh, you know something I don't look up a cossawary right now. 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:23.920 Just explain what it is. 00:23:24.160 --> 00:23:28.319 It's basically like an emu, but it's like it doesn't look like it should exist. 00:23:28.559 --> 00:23:30.000 Look up a cossawary. 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:30.480 Right. 00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:37.359 So I spelled this so bad that my phone doesn't can't even like get close to something else. 00:23:37.599 --> 00:23:37.920 Yeah. 00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:40.000 Okay, how do you think you spell it? 00:23:40.480 --> 00:23:44.000 C-A-S-S-O-W-A-R-Y. 00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:47.440 You were close, but that's impressive. 00:23:47.680 --> 00:23:48.079 Thank you. 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:49.279 Oh, I know these ones. 00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:49.680 Right? 00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:50.960 Little rainbow heads. 00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:51.759 Yes. 00:23:51.920 --> 00:23:52.720 Oh my god. 00:23:52.960 --> 00:23:55.519 They're cute, but I would I would take an emu. 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:56.720 This is a dinosaur. 00:23:56.799 --> 00:24:00.880 Well, they're all dinosaurs, but this one is especially a dinosaur. 00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:03.759 We'll post this on our Instagram. 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:05.039 We'll post all of it. 00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:06.400 We'll post it all. 00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:08.240 It's just an ornithology. 00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:10.400 Ornithology Instagram now. 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:12.319 We hard pivot into birds. 00:24:21.279 --> 00:24:30.319 If you want any updates about the podcast or want to see episode related content, please follow us on Instagram at SoBizarrePod. 00:24:30.720 --> 00:24:32.240 We would appreciate it. 00:24:32.559 --> 00:24:36.480 And follow us on whatever platform you use to stream the podcast. 00:24:36.799 --> 00:24:38.240 Thanks for listening.