How Long Do Emus Live? (Emu Lifespan)

As one of the largest and tallest birds in the world, is it safe to assume that emus also have one of the longest life expectancies? Or did its large size make it more vulnerable to threats and predators, making it more likely to die prematurely? Read our in-depth survey of emu lifespans to find out more.

Native to Australia, emu populations are widely distributed in the wild across the country, where they can live for 10 to 20 years. In captivity, emus have a typical lifespan of up to 35 years, with longer lifespans recorded.

Emus in captivity are protected from opportunistic predators and have a guaranteed food source and plenty of fresh water to survive.

In the wild, these may not always be readily available, birds have been known to travel great distances in search of food and water, and if they cannot find the nutrients they need, they can become stressed, exhausted, or even dangerously weak the point.

Due to their size, speed, and often aggressive nature, emus don’t have many predators, and have even been known to outwit human hunters in rather dramatic fashion. Read on to learn more about the emu’s unique survival adaptations, and the fascinating ending of the 1932 Emu War between man and bird.

In the wild, emus typically live between 10 and 20 years

What is the typical lifespan of an emu?

Farmers typically breed and raise emus for their eggs, oil, meat, skin and feathers. Others are kept in captivity in zoos and conservation parks around the world, and in some cases emus may even be kept as household pets.

Emus in captivity do have a much longer life expectancy than those in the wild due to the safer, protected environment and availability of food and water. Fences that keep out dingoes, dogs and foxes reduce the chances of the birds being attacked.

How long can emus live in the wild?

In the wild, emus live about 10 years, but can live up to 20 years. Native populations are found only in Australia, where the birds roam freely, either as solitary birds or as part of large flocks in search of food and water.

Close up of an emu, Shark Bay, Western Australia

How long can emus live in captivity?

In captivity, the average lifespan of an emu can be extended to 35 years. Domesticated female emus have been observed to lay eggs for up to 16 years.

How Do Most Emus Die?

There are many factors that affect the lifespan of an emu. It is relatively common for emus living in the wild to be killed by a vehicle while crossing the road. Weather conditions are also a major factor in the longevity of emus, with drought and water shortages being the main causes of low juvenile survival.

Emus are adaptable to help them cope with extreme heat and cold, but they can struggle with prolonged periods of wet or stormy weather due to their inability to effectively dry their feathers, which can affect their ability to regulate their body temperature.

An emu family searches for water in the Australian desert during the hot season – The Pinnacles Desert, Western Australia

What is the life cycle of an emu?

Female emus mate with males from December to January and live together for three to four months. Before mating, the male prepares a suitable nesting site, which is then visited by the female. Once a female lays her eggs (usually in April-May, the coolest time of year), she usually ceases to be involved in raising her young and leaves the male’s territory, usually to find another mate.

The male emus are solely responsible for hatching and raising the chicks. The incubation period lasts 56 days and 5 to 20 eggs hatch. During this time, the male emu does not eat or leave the nest.

On rare occasions, the female may remain on the nest to protect the male, but this is uncommon. Emu chicks can walk within the first 24 hours after hatching and will leave the nest when they are 2 to 7 days old. Within their first week of life, they master the art of running and even swimming.

Male emus care for their chicks for the first five months and may frequently take hatchlings from other birds’ nests. Chicks are fully grown by five months but may stay with their father for the first two years. Then wander around looking for food or mate.

The breeding age of emus is between 18 months and 3 years. After the breeding season, emus typically migrate to different regions, regularly traveling from inland to coastal areas.

Close up of an Australian emu chick

What are the natural enemies of emus?

Adult emus do not have any natural enemies. However, a pack of opportunistic dingoes or dingoes may take a chance and chase a bird, especially if they happen to come across an injured, solitary bird.

In the wild, young emus may fall prey to foxes, monitor lizards, feral cats and even eagles. Snakes and lizards may remove emu eggs from their nests.

Humans can also be counted as the main predator of emus in some parts of Australia, where wild emus may be hunted for food or killed by landowners as agricultural pests.

How big was the oldest emu?

A well-known elderly emu is Pepe, who is said to have turned 58 in 2020 and is kept on a family farm in Valencia Creek, Victoria, Australia.

Family of wild emus in the bushes of Shark Bay, François Peron National Park

How long can an emu live without eating?

Research shows that emus can survive for up to two months without solid food, but they do require a constant supply of fresh water. The exception is when the male is brooding. During the 56 days that the male sits on the nest, he does not leave the eggs to eat, drink, or even defecate, and survives on fat stores in his body.

Typically, emus need to drink 9 to 18 liters (2.4 to 4.8 gallons) of water per day to stay hydrated, and when dehydrated, the health and strength of an active emu can rapidly decline.

Can emus survive the winter?

Emus are hardy birds that can tolerate low temperatures through a number of adaptations. One of them is that they use their long feathers to trap air to insulate themselves. They can tolerate temperatures as low as -5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit) and have large adaptive nasal passages that help them breathe in cooler temperatures.

Emus are able to regulate their body temperature to raise and maintain it. However, during wet, windy, extremely cold winters, they can suffer from frostbite. Prolonged periods of heavy rain can challenge saturated plumage and reduce a bird’s ability to maintain a stable body temperature.

Close up portrait of an emu

Emu endangered?

Australia’s wild emu population, estimated at 630,00 to 725,000 individuals, is considered stable and rated “least concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

However, in some places, such as in the NSW North Coast Bioregion, emus are listed as critically endangered. Fewer than 100 emus remain in the wild in this coastal region, a dramatic decline largely due to habitat destruction.

The government imposed controls in Western Australia in 1932, calling in the army to try and control the wild emu population.

The culling – dubbed the “Emu War” – aims to target as many as 20,000 wild emus that are destroying farmers’ wheat crops. However, the effort ultimately failed, with the birds relying on their speed to run past the army and dodge bullets—in all, only about 1,000 emus were killed before the controls were lifted.