Elusive emu spotted wandering the streets of a Doña Ana County neighborhood

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- An elusive emu has been spotted wandering around the Doña Ana County area.

A photo of the large exotic bird was shared to a lost pets group on social media because people do believe the emu belongs to someone.

It was spotted in the Grey Fox subdivision on Thorpe and North Valley.

Animal Control was called, but it said it does not handle wildlife.

The Stick House Sanctuary in El Paso warns that the flightless birds have sharp scales on the backs of their legs that are used when the emu feels threatened, so people are advised to exercise caution if approaching it.

The sanctuary also offered this advice to anyone contemplating trying to capture the big bird:  “To catch an emu, the best and most humane way would be to have a net that shoots out - causing them to be entrapped. You must have several people to help catch and load it in either a horse trailer or large goat carrier.”