Por si hubieran sido pocos los acontecimientos bélicos sucedidos en el siglo XX, hubo uno en particular que no se desarrolló entre potencias mundiales, países enfrentados u hombres siquiera. Se trata de una operación militar desplegada en 1932 en Australia Occidental con objetivos de control de vida salvaje. Un conflicto armado entre el ejército australiano y los emús, aves endémicas oceánicas, quienes de forma hilarante pusieron las cosas difíciles a los soldados y dieron lugar a uno de los hitos más desternillantes y surrealistas de la historia. La Guerra del Emú.
Sin caer en la sátira que fácilmente inspira este asunto, los datos duros de la guerra son evidentemente verídicos y comprobables. Los beligerantes del conflicto fueron Australia y los emús. Concretamente, la Real Artillería Australiana contra nada menos que un ejército de 20,000 emús. Y en cuanto a las bajas, las aves perdieron con mucha diferencia.
Aunque todo se derivó de un intento por controlar la población de la especie animal en la isla, los acontecimientos se desencadenaron de tal forma que la prensa identificó irónicamente el suceso como una guerra. Bautizándola enseguida como la Guerra del Emú o la Gran Guerra Emú.
La invasión de los emús que desató la guerra
Para ponernos en situación debemos comprender las dimensiones y características físicas de los emús. Después del avestruz africano, el emú es el ave más grande que existe en la Tierra. Cuenta con una cabeza y un pico pequeños, pero un cuerpo robusto y fuerte con el que alcanza alrededor de dos metros de altura. No vuela, pero corre a velocidades de 50 km/h y esta formidable cualidad fue su mayor ventaja durante su guerra contra Australia.
Todo comenzó a finales de 1932 en un periodo en que todavía se vivían las últimas consecuencias de la I Guerra Mundial. Muchos ex combatientes australianos y británicos de la Gran Guerra ocuparon el territorio occidental de Australia convirtiéndose en agricultores. Allí construyeron la infraestructura necesaria para desempeñar sus labores, sistemas de riego, campos de cultivo y cosecha, etc. Y las condiciones no muy óptimas en las que se encontraban se vieron todavía más desfavorecidas a raíz de la llegada de 20,000 emús que invadieron la zona.
Resulta que los emús son aves migratorias, solo que como bien apuntamos antes, son aves terrestres que no vuelan, por lo que sus rutas hacia la costa tras la cría se interpusieron en los quehaceres de la sociedad rural australiana. Las tierras cultivadas eran un ecosistema fértil para ellos, donde podían encontrar asentamiento seguro y comida con facilidad. Pero esta invasión masiva y repentina supuso una gran amenaza para la agricultura recién constituida. Los emús se convirtieron en una plaga que destrozaba cultivos e instalaciones agrarias. Esto permitió la entrada también masiva de otros animales pequeños como conejos y roedores que terminaron por destruir lo poco que quedaba. Los efectos del Crac del 29 y la Gran Depresión dispararon además el coste del trigo y otros granos. Por lo que todos los esfuerzos se estaban yendo abajo en una gran crisis que avanzaba descontrolada.

Fuente de la imagen: El blog insostenible
La respuesta del Ministerio de Defensa y la Real Artillería Australiana
Ante tal atípico desastre, los agricultores acudieron desesperados al gobierno australiano. Se reunieron con un ex compañero de armas de la I Guerra Mundial que en aquel momento era ministro de Defensa, George Pearce, quien reaccionó de forma inmediata.
Se estableció una operación provista de armas, usadas solo por personal militar identificado. Australia Occidental debía sufragar el transporte de tropas a la zona de fuego y los agricultores corresponderían a esta ayuda aportando comida y alojamiento a los soldados en activo, además de los costes por la munición. Con fines propagandísticos para restablecer la moral de los campesinos, Pearce solicitó cobertura mediática del ataque. Gracias a ello existen fotos que atestiguan esta hilarante historia.
El desarrollo de la Guerra del Emú
La operación estaba prevista para el mes de octubre, pero algunos días de fuertes lluvias retrasaron la ofensiva hasta el 2 de noviembre. Aquel día, el ejército puso en marcha su primera embestida armado con dos ametralladoras Lewis y alrededor de 10,000 cartuchos, esperando no encontrarse ningún tipo de resistencia por parte de los emús. Dividiendo su estrategia de ataque, dispusieron una serie de trampas para reducir el número de aves paulatinamente y facilitar los disparos. Pero para su sorpresa, los emús se dieron cuenta de estas tretas y lograron sortearlas separándose en pequeños grupos. Esta dispersión dificultó enormemente el apuntarles y dispararles por lo que hubo que redefinir las tácticas militares.
Por si la razón de ser de esta operativa no fuera suficientemente surrealista, el devenir de las cosas durante la guerra no se quedó atrás. El mayor Meredith, dirigente de batalla, tuvo que diseñar nuevas emboscadas para reducir a los emús y colocarlos en punto de fuego. Pero también se enfrentó a problemas técnicos con sus propias armas, que se habían atascado para colmo, y no hacían más que postergar el final del enfrentamiento.
Aunque parezca mentira, los soldados describieron cierta organización inteligente entre los emús. Identificaron lo que parecía ser un líder entre las aves, «que vigila mientras sus compañeros llevan a cabo su trabajo de destrucción y les advierte del enfoque de los militares«, según los testimonios. Fue entonces cuando la velocidad y agilidad de los emús complicó más las cosas, siendo el número de aves abatidas incierto y desconocido.

Fuente de la imagen: Wikipedia
El final de la Guerra del Emú como el conflicto más bizarro de la historia
La guerra iba por su octavo día y se desplegaba entre la incredulidad de los australianos, la frustración y el pasmo. La falta de resultados después de ese tiempo generaba dudas en todas partes, especialmente en la prensa, bastante pesimista. Y finalmente Pearce retiró las tropas y el armamento del campo de batalla. En un balance final, Meredith concedió a las aves el mérito que habían demostrado, aludiendo a una sorprendente capacidad de maniobra. Los comparó con los zulús, quienes ofrecieron gran resistencia a los colonos ingleses que asediaron Sudáfrica. Y de alguna manera, podríamos interpretar que pese a las bajas entre los emús, los australianos no ganaron el conflicto. Poco después de la retirada, las aves continuaron su invasión y a petición de los agricultores, Pearce reanudó la operación.

Fuente de la imagen: Twitter
La Guerra del Emú terminó el 10 de diciembre. En un recuento final, se estima que murieron 3,485 emús y ningún soldado. Un desenlace hasta cierto punto indeterminado que deja más preguntas que respuestas.
A pesar de los esfuerzos, los gastos y despliegues militares, el problema de los agricultores no había sido resuelto. Durante los años siguientes al conflicto requirieron ayuda de nuevo para ahuyentar a las aves. Esta vez no para matarlas. Cuando el suceso llegó a oídos británicos e internacionales, se habló de exterminio y de soluciones de dudosa eficacia. Aunque finalmente se aprobaron otros métodos de cercas y barreras de contención para esta y otras especies.
Después de todo, nunca se podrá vencer a la naturaleza.
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