"Hang in there Emanuel" - Martina Navratilova expresses solidarity with TikTok star emu Emmanuel fighting avian flu
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has expressed solidarity with TikTok star Emmanuel, an emu, who is battling the deadly avian flu.
The mischievous emu became a viral sensation when she started pecking at the phone while Taylor Blake was making an educational TikTok about farming.
The emu has since become a sensation on social media and has garnered close to 2.5 million followers. Emmanuel walks into Blake's videos and starts to peck her iPhone, even as Blake warns:
“Emmanuel, don’t do it!”
The avian flu has been spreading quickly across the United States of America for many months. It is termed the most serious outbreak since 2015 when a strain affected about 50 million birds across the country.
Martina Navratilova, who has always been vocal about social issues on social networking sites, took to Twitter to give words of encouragement to Emmanuel.
"Hang in there Emanuel," the former World No. 1 posted on Twitter in response to a Huff Post article on how Emmanuel has been battling the deadly outbreak.
Hang in there Emanuel huffpost.com/entry/emmanuel…
Emmanuel was one of only two birds at Blake's Knuckle Bumps Farm in Florida to avoid the avian flu. However, with the infection soon swooping in on the emu, it has been left clinging on for life.
The emu has been under veterinary care since Wednesday, sedated and stabilized. However, the road ahead for a complete recovery is not rosy, according to her veterinarian.
Martina Navratilova vocal on social media
Martina Navratilova has always used social media to broadcast her views on various pressing issues. The tennis legend opined that 'silence' regarding a matter is equivalent to 'consent' and urged fellow celebrities to use social media to speak up more often.
The former tennis player said she did not "sign up to be famous," but soon realized the importance of using her stature to stand up for her beliefs through social media.
The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion further stated that celebrities do not have a specific responsibility to use social media and other platforms to reach out to people and express their beliefs on important matters. However, she believes they should still use it as they have a great opportunity to create an impact, and feels most celebrities do so.
Earlier this month, Martina Navratilova rang the NASDAQ bell in New York City’s Times Square to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The 65-year-old herself is a breast cancer survivor and often uses her platform to raise awareness regarding the matter.