DID YOU KNOW…
The Great Emu War: When Australia Deployed Its Army Against Birds
In 1932, the Australian military was deployed with machine guns to combat an estimated 20,000 emus ravaging crops in Western Australia, an event famously dubbed the "Great Emu War."
Following World War I, the Australian government encouraged returned soldiers to farm land in marginal areas, but a severe drought in 1932 drove thousands of emus from the outback into these agricultural regions, destroying fences and crops. Farmers requested military assistance, leading to Major G.P.W. Meredith and his men being dispatched with Lewis automatic machine guns. However, the emus proved to be surprisingly agile and difficult targets, often scattering before shots could be effectively fired. Despite numerous attempts and thousands of rounds fired, the operation was largely considered a failure, with the emus effectively outsmarting the military tactics.
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