If you've been on TikTok within the past few months, you're probably familiar with Knuckle Bump Farms and their roster of sassy animals. Emmanuel, the camera-loving emu known for rudely interrupting educational videos alongside his trusty sidekick Princess, has captured the hearts of millions.
@knucklebumpfarms Animals Against Education with a TWIST: I educated over their interruptions😅 #animalsagainsteducation #emmanueldontdoit #emmanueltheemu #princessthedeer #fernthedeer #jasonthepig #jenniferthepig #junethedonkey
Despite prospering on the internet, Knuckle Bump Farms recently dealt with some serious issues. After a flock of Egyptian Geese repeatedly flew into the farm, the wild birds eventual spread avian influenza to the farm's domesticated birds. As a result, farm owner Taylor Blake revealed that they lost 99% of their birds.
\u201cI\u2019ve taken time to process and grieve as much as possible, while also dedicating all of my time to the animals and their well-being. It\u2019s hard to grieve when so many lives depend on you.\u201d— eco sister (@eco sister) 1665878336
\u201cNot many people are aware of the dangers that wild birds pose to domesticated birds. Wild birds carry and transmit a deadly virus known as Avian Influenza. Our farm was heavily impacted by wild geese bringing in AI, and we lost 99% of the birds on our farm.\u201d— eco sister (@eco sister) 1665878336
Blake explains that it's nearly impossible to vaccinate against avian flu due to the mutations, so prevention is key. She says that it is possibly due to standing water from Hurricane Ian that caused the outbreak.
After losing over 50 birds in 3 days, their beloved Emmanuel contracted the virus.
\u201cI will do anything and go into any amount of debt to save his life. My vet came out and was able to sedate and stabilize him until I could find an avian specialist. I have been treating him around the clock since Wednesday.\u201d— eco sister (@eco sister) 1665878336
Blake and her girlfriend Kristian immediately went to work to try and save Emmanuel. Initially, he refused to eat and drink. He also suffered nerve damage in his foot, so the two devised a makeshift sling to help get him back on track.
\u201cWe put our brains together and built Emmanuel a sling so that we can start physical therapy with him, in the hopes that he will regain function of his right foot/leg. We have been tweaking and perfecting it over the last 48hrs.\u201d— eco sister (@eco sister) 1665878337
Blake has asked for prayers and well wishes at this time, as the only two birds left on the farm are Emmanuel and Rico. It seems like they're working, and Emmanuel is making a speedy recovery.
\u201cEmmanuel Todd Lopez crushing his morning physical therapy!!\ud83e\udef6\ud83c\udffb\u201d— eco sister (@eco sister) 1665931233
He even drank by himself for the first time!
\u201cEMMANUEL JUST DRANK WATER BY HIMSELF FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE BECOMING ILL\ud83d\ude2d\ud83e\udd79 Please keep the prayers coming!\u201d— eco sister (@eco sister) 1665951437
For now, Blake is taking all precautions to protect herself against avian flu, which is contagious to humans as well. She is also working on finding a specialist to help assist with Emmanuel's physical therapy. We hope Emmanuel is back to interrupting more TikToks in the near future.
Photo courtesy of @hiitaylorblake/Twitter, Screenshot by PAPER Magazine
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