A large emu-like bird in Brazil was feeling a bit peckish when it bit Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro at the presidential palace.
The nibble happened after the coronavirus-infected leader lamented his “horrible” self-isolation this week.
“I can’t stand this routine of staying at home. It’s horrible,” the populist leader told CNN Brazil on Monday. Bolsonaro, who has been in quarantine at the luxe Palacio da Alvorada, said that he was feeling “very well” and wanted to get back to work.
Later, while out for a walk near the residence, which features a game room and movie theater, Bolsanaro was pecked or bitten by a bird known as a rhea in view of Brazilian media. The encounter occurred when the president had his hand outstretched to feed the creatures. Rheas are large, flightless birds endemic to South America and are similar to ostriches and emus. He was seen shaking his hand in recoil after the nip.
bolsonaro tentando alimentar uma ema e sendo bicado pic.twitter.com/jMT9gd3MeM
— muriel (@pedromuriel) July 14, 2020
Over the past few weeks, Brazil has emerged as a new global hot spot in the coronavirus pandemic. The South American country now has the second-most confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the world, with close to 2 million infections and almost 75,000 deaths, according to the latest tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Bolsonaro announced his COVID-19 diagnosis earlier this month. He tested positive after running a fever of over 100 degrees and exhibiting symptoms of the flu-like illness.
“I’ve come back from the hospital now, I’ve done a lung screening, my lung is clean, OK? I went to do a COVID exam a while ago, but everything is OK,” he said after news broke that he had contracted the coronavirus.
Bolsonaro once again tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to a report from CNN Brasil. He told the network that he would take another coronavirus test in the coming days with hopes that it will come back negative.
Bolsonaro also made headlines when he announced he was using the controversial anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine after receiving the positive test result.
