The reason Eddie the ancient emu returns to the same empty nest on a Western Australian farm year after year is the most heartbreaking story you'll read this week
- Benjamin Horgan took this picture of a brooding emu 250km south-east of Perth
- A farmer told Mr Horgan the sad story of the flightless bird he has named Eddie
- Eddie returned each year to the spot where he used to nest with his late partner
- The farmer thought Eddie was about 26, when emus normally live 10 to 20 years
Eddie the old man emu might look like he's just having a rest on a comfortable grass bed but there is a heartbreaking explanation for his curious pose.
A passing driver photographed the flightless bird less than 10 metres off the road near Kojonup, in Western Australia, about 250 kilometres south-east of Perth.
Benjamin Horgan stopped to take a picture because he liked the image but was overwhelmed when a local farmer told him the sad story behind Eddie's piercing brown eyes.
Edidie the emu might look like he's having a rest on a comfortable grass bed but there is a heartbreaking - or heartwarming - story behind this curious pose. Eddie's mate died some years earlier and every breeding season he returns to where the pair used to nest
Eddie's mate had died some years earlier and every breeding season he returned to where the pair used to nest.
Male emus incubate their partner's eggs until they hatch after about eight weeks and Eddie appears to want to look after one more batch of chicks.
'I just think it's a nice story in among all this pandemic stuff,' 25-year-old Mr Horgan said. 'That an animal can miss their partner like that.'
Mr Horgan, whose family owns the renowned Leeuwin Estate winery at Margaret River, is a graphic designer who works for mining magnate Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest's Minderoo Foundation charity.
He was driving the 420km from Perth to Albany with colleague and fellow animal lover Emma Jeffree when she spotted Eddie by the side of the road about 4pm on August 6.
He was driving the 420km from Perth to Albany with colleague Emma Jeffree when she spotted Eddie by the side of the road about 4pm on August 6. Ms Jeffree took this picture
Benjamin Horgan took the photograph of Eddie the emu 10 metres off the road near Kojonup, in Western Australia, about 250 kilometres south-east of Perth
'If anything could come out of this photo, it's the sentiment to just care a little more about the world and people around us and that these beautiful creatures are capable of feeling loss in the same way we do,' Mr Horgan said. Eddie is pictured with Mr Horgan's friend Emma Jeffree
'I didn't see it because he's so low to the ground,' Mr Horgan said. 'I didn't even know it was an emu. I've never seen one sit like that.
Mr Horgan and Ms Jeffree got out of their car and climbed through a barbed wire fence to get closer, not sure if the bird would welcome their presence.
'We were quite hesitant to approach in the first instance, so kept our distance,' he said.
When a farmer arrived in his ute Mr Horgan and Ms Jeffree were worried they were trespassing. 'We thought we were going to get into trouble,' he said.
Instead, the farmer told the pair that Eddie's mate had died some time ago and how he returned to their old nesting spot every year. 'He's not going to bite you,' he reassured them.
Mr Horgan, who has been a keen photographer since he was 15 and posts on Instagram at bnjmnbyrn, eventually approached the emu and took a picture on his iPhone 11.
'I was a bit scared to get too close because he thinks he's protecting something,' he said. 'I know emus can lash out if they're provoked.'
'We were pretty overwhelmed. For me it's always about capturing genuine kind of moments. I love how he's looking straight at me.'
The farmer told Mr Horgan that Eddie had become a popular local attraction.
'He said people when they see him they stop and take photos,' Mr Horgan said. 'He told us, "I don't think I've ever seen an emu live this long".'
The farmer said he and his father brought food and water for Eddie every morning and he estimated him to be aged about 26.
Emus, who live an average 10 to 20 year in the wild, hardly eat or drink while incubating eggs, which hatch after about eight weeks.
The image drew emotional responses when posted on social media with comments including 'What a sweetheart', 'Aww bless', 'true love' and 'omg that's so sad'.
'Makes your heart sore,' one Facebook user wrote. 'Bless him...he needs to get back in the saddle and join the dating pool!' another added.
A third had a practical solution for Eddie's loneliness: 'Slip the poor guy some eggs'.
Mr Horgan was delighted his simple image had captured so much attention.
'If anything could come out of this photo, it's the sentiment to just care a little more about the world and people around us and that these beautiful creatures are capable of feeling loss in the same way we do,' he said.
The farmer said he and his father brought food and water for Eddie (pictured) every morning and he estimated him to be aged about 26
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