Aka Emu Farms

You wouldn’t really expect to find emus around here, but that’s what we do at Aka Emu Farms. We’re located off Saki Vihar Road, specifically at 329 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Road in Chandivali. It’s a bit of a strange mix, having birds like this so close to the busy industrial areas of Mumbai. The farm takes up a good amount of space, and the birds are pretty loud when they want to be. They have this deep drumming sound that carries across the yard. Every morning starts with feeding and checking the fences. It’s a lot of outdoor work, so we’re always at the mercy of the weather. When it rains, the ground gets really muddy, and we’re out there in boots trying to keep things organized. We started this because we wanted to do something different than the usual city jobs. It’s not always easy, especially with the traffic on Saki Vihar Road making it hard for deliveries to arrive. But once you’re inside the gates, it’s a different world. We don’t have a fancy office, just a small shed where we keep the records. People sometimes stop by just to look because they’ve never seen an emu before. We just tell them they’re interesting birds but a lot of work. It’s a simple life, mostly focused on the animals and making sure they’re fed and healthy. We just take things one day at a time.