A large bird that turned up at a farm and started grazing next to some horses has been identified as a male emu and is now looking for a new home.

Joanne Knaggs spotted the animal Wednesday lunchtime in a field off Criol Lane, Shadoxhurst, near Ashford, and has been trying to find its owner ever since.

But despite talking to villagers and nearby farms and posting messages on Facebook the owners have not come forward.

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Ms Knaggs said: "It's in a field near some horses but it's separated from them by an electric fence. It was scared when it arrived and went into one corner.

"I'm just trying to spread the word as far as I can. It's a shame because someone must have lost it from somewhere.

"Nowadays you can buy emu eggs online and with an incubator you can hatch them. You don't need a licence to keep one.

Video: The emu on the loose

"It sounds strange but this animal could just have been living in someone's back garden.

"This is a fully grown bird, it's got to be a year or older. They can run fast, faster than dogs, so it could have come across fields from quite far away."

This morning the RSPCA said an officer had visited the bird in the field and could confirm it was a male emu.

Spokesman Katya Mira said: "We have been called and have gone along to check on the emu. He is contained in a paddock and in good health.

"We have done all we can to try and trace an owner with no success, and it is hard to say whether he would have escaped from somewhere or was abandoned.

"We are looking for a new home for him, and hope to have him settled before very long."

Do you know who the bird belongs to? Email news@thekmgroup.co.uk or call the RSPCA on 0300 123 8018.