Eno the elusive emu dies during capture in North Carolina

An emu at a zoo in Hangzhou, China. [File Photo: VCG]

Animal control officials in North Carolina are sad to report that an elusive emu has died while being captured.

It was the end nobody wanted for the flightless bird, which was on the run for months. The emu was dubbed Eno and became a social media star, with people posting "Where's Eno?" updates as the bird kept getting away. In July, it was spotted jumping onto a car before fleeing again.

Orange County Animal Services Director Bob Marotto says letting it roam wasn't "viable," because it could have caused an accident or been shot by hunters. No owner came forward, so the plan was to bring it to an animal sanctuary. They fed it grapes with sedatives, but Marotto says Eno awoke while being restrained and then collapsed and died.