(UPI) An emu that had been on the loose for over a week in West Virginia was captured after wandering into a resident's yard.

Residents of Williamstown and Parkersburg reported seeing the emu wandering through their neighborhoods in recent days, and sightings reported on social media indicate the large, flightless bird had been wandering the area for over a week.

Christy Braham said her husband was doing worn on their Parkersburg house Wednesday evening when he found the emu inside the home's backyard fence.

The Brahams called 911, and personnel from the Wood County Sheriff's Office arrived on the scene to capture the bird.

"It took a little while, about 15-20 minutes to corral him to where they can touch him and get him down. My husband helped them. And then they kind of like hogtied him so he didn't use his legs," Braham told WTAP-TV.

The emu was placed in the care of Earl Khorsrovi, owner of Alpaca Run Farms, while authorities try to find the animal's owner.

Khorsrovi said the emu, which he dubbed Kevin, is very tame and not aggressive, indicating it was once kept as a pet. He said the bird may have been on the loose for longer than sightings would indicate.

"When we got him, we looked over him yesterday and today and he was covered in ticks. So we had pulled a lot of ticks off of him already. So he's been out there for a while," Khorsrovi said.

Khorsrovi said Kevin will have a new permanent home at his farm if no owner comes forward to claim the Australian bird.

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