Erasmo the emu is safely back at his home in Grant, Minn., after a brief escape Thursday morning that drew a response from the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

The flightless bird native to Australia was likely looking for a mate when he climbed the fence and ventured into the backyard of the Cedar Ridge Treatment Center, said his owner, Jaime Benner. The center has a frisbee golf net in the yard that kind of looks like a female emu, "if you squint your eyes," she joked.

Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies who responded to the animal complaint at 7:44 a.m. Thursday reported a "loose emu in the area," a spokesperson said. Erasmo was returned to Benner's property, the Idylwood Equestrian Center, by one of her employees.

Erasmo had been pacing back and forth along the fence for a few days, leading to concerned calls from the treatment center, Benner said. She told them it was probably just the frisbee golf net, though "he looked like he was having an issue, clearly."

Benner took in Erasmo as a rescue after he was left on another farm without proper care, she said. She's taken in other large bird rescues as well, and today has three emus and two ostriches on her horse boarding farm. The birds "live like show horses" with their own stalls and large fields to run in, she added.

"Emus are great. They're so sheepish and awkward. We've never had a bad emu moment," she said. "I'm kind of surprised more people don't have them."

Benner said the birds get along well with the horses and other animals she has, including a pig and a rooster.

"The horses are fine," she said. "UPS men, not so much."