A few days ago, the staff at the Park of Friendship’s Animal Park witnessed a sight they have been eagerly anticipating during the past few weeks. Hatchlings of the emus were seen peeking out from under the parent’s bulky feathers.

With this news, the park’s vets were down immediately not only to ensure the well-being of these offspring, but also to register what they consider the first naturally-hatched emus in Malta.

Today the hatchlings are than a week old but can already be seen nibbling at small grass roots and insects from the ground. The male emu is responsible for the care of the eggs immediately after they are hatched and keeps on being responsible for the well-being of the hatchlings till they are able to live independently.

The female in this case had laid six eggs, four of which have hatched so far. Mark Sultana, general manager of Razzett tal-Hbiberija, stated “Although Razzett’s core competence is to offer high-quality services to persons with disabilities to improve their quality of life, we also put a lot of importance and care to all areas which help us sustain ourselves as a charitable organisation, such as the Animal Park. This unique experience is a certificate for us and I encourage the general public to visit this park during the coming weekends and the Easter festive season to witness this splendid sight.”