HLM – Chapter 1033 Battle for the Bird’s Nest

Seeing the group, the emus weren’t afraid. Four or five of the large birds gathered together, curiously observing them, then slowly approached.

These birds were friendly; as long as you didn’t provoke them, they never pecked people. They weren’t picky about food either, mainly eating grasses, but they also liked butterflies and insects.

The reason they approached humans was that New Zealanders tended to be kind to wildlife. When they encountered wild animals, they usually didn’t hunt them first—they would feed them. People would put out bread, sausages, or biscuits for the birds.

These emus had been fed by humans before. They had excellent memories and could recall past experiences.

If they had been harmed by humans, they would run away upon seeing people. If they had been fed by humans, they would actively approach, expecting more food.

Emus were excellent runners, capable of terrifying speeds of 70 km/h, and could sustain running for hundreds of kilometers.

Just as there were ostrich races in Africa and North America, Australia and New Zealand also had emu races. Although emus had wings, they were completely vestigial and could not fly—they only ran.

Seeing a few emus charging toward them, Little Meng felt a bit scared. The huge difference in size made him only dare to squeak on Wang Bo’s shoulder, unwilling to fly out and attack.

If it had been the parrot flock instead, any bird charging at them would have prompted him to fly up and launch an attack immediately.

The parrot flock reacted even more strongly. Upon seeing the emus, they hurriedly took to the air. But the kea parrots were clumsy fliers; some couldn’t take off in panic, while others flew into trees and fell down.

The scene became chaotic. Li Xing said, “It’s like A sneaked into the girls’ bathhouse.”

Qingyang responded, “Get lost! I only go into the men’s bathhouse!”

The kea parrots that couldn’t take off gathered together, trembling as they looked at the emus.

That’s when Wang Bo understood why, upon seeing Little Meng earlier, they had shown that timid expression. Apparently, they wanted Little Meng to lead them and fight the emus.

It was clear the two sides had interacted before. Wang Bo guessed that the emus had recently arrived in the Bird’s Nest forest, and the domineering kea parrots had likely attacked them to drive them away.

Emus were gentle by nature, but that didn’t mean they were weak. Under the influence of the Bird’s Nest Heart, they had also revealed a more dominant side, fiercely dealing with the kea parrots.

Wang Bo’s reasoning was supported by the sight of many parrots with ruffled feathers. Little Meng had only handled a few of them—what about the others? Surely they hadn’t been beaten by the possums…

The reason was the emus.

Wherever Atulu was, there was food.

When the emus ran over and saw the big sausages in the hands of the Maori man, they stomped their large feet around him.

Unlike the kea parrots, they didn’t snatch the food but instead gathered like puppies around Atulu, stretching their necks, waiting to be fed.

“This is not bad,” Atulu said. He had originally hidden the sausages in his pocket, but seeing the emus didn’t forcefully grab them, he took them out, tore them into small pieces, and distributed them.

The kea parrots were also food lovers. The aroma of the sausages was strong, and those on the ground, seeing the emus ignore them, fluttered over, snatched the pieces, and flew away.

The emus became anxious, but they didn’t attack the parrots for food. They merely blinked discontentedly, then continued searching for food obediently on the ground.

The kea parrots perched in trees glared down. The emus’ good temper seemed to give them an idea, and they swooped down to snatch sausage pieces.

Atulu’s single big sausage was gone in minutes.

Once they realized there was no more food, the emus strolled leisurely back into the forest.

Li Xing said, “I’ve been to several countries. Except for New Zealand, in other countries, birds this unguarded would have been captured and wiped out long ago!”

Emus had significant economic value. They could weigh over 45 kg, with tender, delicious meat that was low in fat and cholesterol—healthy, green food.

Besides the meat, their hides were valuable, breathable, tough, and soft to the touch, with raised pores adding aesthetic appeal—highly sought after in international markets.

Emu eggs were unique, with naturally dark green shells, triple-layered with green, sky blue, and white. Crafts carved from these eggs were highly collectible. Many important Maori handicrafts were made from emu eggs.

Emu feathers didn’t produce static, making them ideal for dusting high-precision instruments.

The most remarkable feature was the fat pouch on their backs. Each emu could produce four to eight pounds of oil, which had strong permeability and was now used in cosmetics and anti-inflammatory medicine, highly effective for sports injuries.

In short, these birds were treasures from head to toe.

However, emu farming in New Zealand was limited. The government was cautious, fearing that uncontrolled proliferation would damage the ecosystem.

And indeed, these birds could grow up to 1.8 meters tall and weigh over 80 kg. If they became invasive, they could easily destroy New Zealand’s ecological balance.

Thus, the government’s cautious approach was justified.

“Should we hunt a couple? Emu hunting isn’t illegal,” Atulu asked. “I’ve eaten them—tastes like chicken, crispy. Roast one over fire, and it’s a delicacy.”

Wang Bo glared at him. “Brother Xing just praised New Zealanders for having both beauty and kindness. Can you not embarrass your indigenous people?”

Atulu chuckled. “At a time like this, I’m Maori, not New Zealander.”

As the emus moved into the forest, the kea parrots weren’t willing to let them.

Although they had been beaten by the emus before, something—either Little Meng’s leadership or the emus’ slightly weak behavior during the sausage scramble—gave them courage.

In short, the kea parrots regained their boldness.

They couldn’t allow emus into their nest. Who would let others sleep on their bed?

So when the emus tried to enter the forest, several strong kea parrots “K-ai’er”-ed loudly and launched an aerial attack.

Little Meng’s high-altitude strikes were like missile bombardments, while the kea parrots’ aerial descents resembled paratroopers jumping from a plane without opening their parachutes.

Their specialty was landing on opponents’ backs, using sharp beaks and strong claws to attack.

But the emus had thick, smooth brown feathers, and their backs had sebaceous glands storing fat in their fat pouches.

This made the kea parrots’ attacks rather ineffective.