‘Feral’ Emus Named Thelma and Louise Are on the Loose in South Carolina: 'Not Emu-sed'

A pair of emus are on the run!

According to an official statement from the Horry County Police Department in South Carolina posted on Facebook on Nov. 13, two emus escaped from their owner's property and are "on the loose" in the Green Sea area.

"We are not emu-sed," the officials quipped.

"The department is aware of the reported emus, and we have made contact with the owner. We are working to aid the owner in the effort to locate and capture the animals," the statement continued.

The local police department said the birds do not pose a risk to the community.

The emus' owner, Sam Morace, addressed the recent emu sightings in a Nov. 12 Facebook post on a local group page, confirming there are two emus and noting that they "got loose 3 months ago."

"They are feral and not trained like the ones we have at the house," she added. "Local law enforcement has already been at my house, [and] we are trying to get a tranquilizer approved so we can bring them home."

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In an interview with CBS News , Morace said the emus are named Thelma and Louise — inspired by the 1991 movie of the same name, starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as two friends on the run from the law.

Detailing the emus' escape, she said, "They decided they wanted to hop the fence when we were trying to grab one of them to move her to another paddock and, well, she didn't like that."

Morace added: "So she [is] living the wild life, well both of them are."

According to the Smithsonian's National Zoo , emus are flightless birds with small wings. They vary in color but tend to be dark at the end of their molting season. The animals are native to Australia and grow to be 5 feet 7 inches tall and weigh more than 100 lbs. on average.

Emus have a life expectancy of five to 10 years, but can live longer in captivity.

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This isn't the first newsworthy animal escape in South Carolina this month. On Nov. 6, local authorities confirmed in an official Facebook statement that 40 primates had broken free from the Alpha Genesis research facility in Beaufort County.

"Traps have been set up around the area, and the Yemassee Police Department is currently on-site utilizing thermal imaging cameras in an attempt to locate the animals," police said at the time.

Residents in the area were "strongly advised to keep doors and windows secured to prevent these animals from entering homes," per the statement.