Life, liberty and the pursuit of an emu: Escaped bird sparks wonder across Marlboro County

MARLBORO COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — It’s very likely that nobody in America will be spending their Independence Day weekend like Brad Cieluch.

The Marlboro County man plans to scour the area for an emu that broke from his family farm several days ago, traveling since then at a leisurely pace through sleepy Clio seeking freedom on its own terms.

“We’re going out every chance we can to try and get it,”Cieluch said. “The more people that are around it, it gets antsy. So it’s going to be me and my father-in-law all day on Saturday with treats.”

The bird was spotted Tuesday morning ambling along Highway 38 near Blenheim. The creature has become something of a social media sensation in the days since its escape, with community members posting photos and videos of the six-foot wonder.

A second of Cieluch’s emus was struck with a desire to live under the blue skies of liberty, but was quickly wrangled back to reality. Cieluch said that bird is now comfortably residing in a barn, awaiting reunification with its feathered brethren.

Once Cieluch gets his free ranging bird back, he’s confident they won’t be leaving again.

“We’re building an eight-foot fence,” he said.

* * *

Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12 . See more of his work here .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.