WA policeman collars runaway emu

The town of Mount Barker in Western Australia's south is better known for its free range chickens than emus - but one of the roaming big birds has kept local police on their toes.

A runaway emu spent Wednesday night evading police in the regional town before being collared by one plucky officer.

Constable Kevin Loveland said he cornered the bird with the help of the ranger and a local woman "who seemed to know a lot about emus" the morning after it was sighted running around town.

"One thing led to another and I ended up being Johnny-on-the-spot," Const Loveland told AAP.

"Three of us walked up to it, (the) woman grabbed it around the neck and I picked it up."

Const Loveland said he was pleased to catch the feathered fugitive, who turned out to be a local pet, without having to resort to an old-fashioned foot chase.

Const Loveland was photographed with the emu by a colleague as he prepared to put the runaway bird in the back of their trailer.