Australia really sent soldiers after emus

What happens when crop-destroying birds meet machine guns? In 1932, Australia tried to answer that with the Great Emu War, and the birds basically said “nice try.”^[2][5]

The emu problem: about 20,000 emus moved into the Campion and Walgoolan wheat areas, trampling crops and punching holes in fences that kept out rabbits too.^[2][4][9]

The military response: two Lewis guns, 10,000 rounds, and Major G. P. W. Meredith led three soldiers into the field in November 1932. Rain delayed the start, then the emus split into tiny groups and kept dodging the ambushes.^[2][6][21]

The outcome: the first run was mocked as a flop, the troops withdrew on 8 November, then returned later and kept shooting through December. Meredith’s final tally claimed 986 confirmed kills with 9,860 rounds, but historians note the figure is disputed and likely inflated.^{[2][4][5][24]}

The lesson learned: machine guns were a terrible wildlife tool, while bounties and better fencing worked far better. The whole episode became a cautionary tale about underestimating animals, and somehow an icon of Australian trivia.^{[6][8][25][19]}