This bizarre little oddity appealed to our off beat sensibilities here at BMHQ. Is it a plea to return or an emphatic statement? Desperation or enthusiasm?

As for the bird, we’re going with an emu, that bewildering contradiction of an animal. It can’t fly but can run at 48 km an hour. Despite its less than streamlined shape, it can swim. And it’s the male that stays home to incubate the eggs, presumably while the females are down the pub sinking a few tinnies.

The emu is a bird on the move, always planning ahead. Scouting out the best spot to linger for a while, but ready to pick up and leave at a moment’s notice, should the environment change or the food sources dwindle. A symbol of adaptability and endurance.

And our favourite fun fact, the emu is one of only two Australian animals that are unable to walk backwards (the other being a kangaroo). No moonwalk for those two.

Perhaps this  is intaglio plea after all, for a more settled life. Or a reminder to do the opposite. To recognise when a situation is no longer working and move on. To accept nothing less.

To make like an emu and always move forward.