San Diego Humane Society officials are searching for the owner of an emu after the flightless bird was found wandering in a Vista neighborhood Wednesday night. A resident called Humane Society officers around 6 p.m. to say that an emu had run into their family’s yard on Vale View Drive, off Hacien da Drive just south of state Route 78, spokesperson Nina Thompson said. Six of the organization’s officers and emergency response team members arrived and, concerned for the bird’s safety, used a roll of orange plastic netting to guide the emu into a trailer, Thompson said. The bird was then taken to the organization’s Escondido campus. San Diego Humane Society officers loaded the stray emu into a trailer after the animal wandered into a Vista neighborhood Wednesday evening. (The San Diego Humane Society) Veterinarians there noted the bird had suffered injuries to its neck and right wing, Thompson said. The animal, which was later nicknamed Claudius, was placed in a fully-enclosed yard to be monitored by medical staff. The 3-year-old bird was put on a 72-hour hold while the organization’s veterinarians and staff determine next steps, Thompson said. As of Thursday evening, no one had come forward to claim the bird. Emus are legal to own in California and are often considered livestock, Thompson said. San Diego Humane Society officers and members of the organization’s emergency response team load a stray emu into a trailer after the animal wandered into a Vista neighborhood Wednesday evening. (The San Diego Humane Society) “We do not know where the emu came from or how he was injured,” Thompson said. “We encourage any potential owner to contact us at our Escondido campus.” Officials asked anyone with information about the bird or its owner to contact the San Diego Humane Society’s Escondido office at (619) 299-7012. ...read more read less