As many as 12,143 emu birds abandoned by the farms are now under the care of the government.
In Salem and Coimbatore districts, the government would take care of 150 to 200 birds.
The Chief Minister has now sanctioned an amount of Rs 1 crore to feed the birds, sources in the Animal Husbandry Department told Express.
The amount included the cost of power and water supply to the sheds where the birds were being kept. The grant was expected to cover the expenses for a month, , the sources added.
An emu usually consumed nearly 1 kg of feed, including maize, soya and oilcake, worth `20, on a daily basis. The feed for the birds would come from the original suppliers itself, sources said.
After several complaints were filed against the owners of the Susi, Queen, Suvi, Elur and Kadappanallur emu farms in the district, alleging that they cheated several investors, the birds they were rearing were left without feed and water for days.
Later, as cases were registered against the firms under the Tamil Nadu Protection of Interest of Depositors (TNPID) Act 1997, and the District Revenue Officer (DRO) was designated to auction the assets of these firms, the birds were treated as assets of the DRO.
Hence, the Village Administrative Officers (VAO) have been entrusted with the task of maintaining the emus with the help of the staff previously employed in these farms.
Around 10 veterinarians from the Animal Husbandry Department have also been been regularly visiting the farms to ensure that the birds remained healthy.
With a life span of 35 years, the exotic birds, usually found in arid regions like deserts, can live without feed for days as their body fat is stored on its back like that of a camel.
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