Charismatic Megafauna

The emu is a cultural icon in Australia – and has been since ancient times.

One of the most interesting things about this species is that the male emu incubates the eggs and cares for the young. These great fathers of the animal kingdom will spend two months sitting on the eggs, without eating or drinking.

When the chicks hatch, their father will parent them for the next six months, guarding them from predators and warming them at night. I encountered this emu and his chicks on near Shark Bay in Western Australia.

This NFT edition is dedicated to all the great fathers out there – and especially my brothers, Richard and Joe, along with my father-in-law, Alan.