In 1838, John Gould after his voyage to Van Diemen’s Land claimed that ‘it would require a month search, in the most remote parts of the island, before one could see any’.
There were warnings about the increasing rarity of the emu.
In 1826 a letter from Oyster Bay stated that ‘they will soon be extinct’.
In 1831, a traveller reported that emus were rarely seen in the midlands, though they were numerous to the westward.
A second letter in 1832 claimed that ‘the Emu is now extinct from the midland region around Bothwell’.
That year dogs killed ‘a beautiful specimen of the emu’ at Oatlands.
It weighed about 100 pounds (45 kg), and the skin was carefully stuffed.
An article in the Hobart Town Courier in 1832 deplored the loss of the emu, comparing it to that of the Dodo, 'and we mention it particularly upon the present occasion, in order to impress upon our local government the propriety of taking some steps to prevent similar annihilation of that apparently no less valuable bird our native Emu.
It is now very rarely to be met with in the island.'
The author suggested keeping a few pairs in an enclosed area.
This plea for preservation was echoed by Ronald Campbell Gunn who in 1836 reflected on an unsuccessful attempt to entice Lieutenant-Governor Arthur to respond to the plight of the Tasmanian emu, pointing out that ‘Emus are now extremely rare – and in a few years will be quite gone’.
James Fenton, who arrived in 1834, wrote that he never saw an emu, and only heard of one being seen near the Leven in 1839.
He claimed that the emus had all disappeared from some ‘unknown cause’.
There are many theories about what led to the extinction of the Tasmanian emu.

 
The Tasmanian emu was, as were the mainland birds, hunted as a pest but more likely for food.
While settlers used guns to hunt emus, the emu’s speed meant they were not necessarily effective hunting weapons on their own.
 The introduction of the domestic dog changed this.
It was so revolutionary that the introduction of dogs should be considered a major contributing factor to the extinction of the Tasmanian emu.
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, Van Diemen’s Land did not have a domestic dog, nor was the dingo present.
Other than humans, the only other species to hunt the emu was the thylacine, which was an endurance hunter with a tendency to track and tire its prey.
In contrast, the domestic dog, bred for speed and size, had a formidable impact.

In addition, the practice of setting fire to grassland and shrubland to aid in claiming land for agriculture deprived the birds of habitat.
 The subspecies became extinct around 1850, but this date is not very precise: mainland birds were introduced after diemenensis' disappearance (and possibly even when the last birds of the Tasmanian subspecies were still around, therefore hybridising them out of existence), but the history of emu introductions on Tasmania is not sufficiently documented to allow a more precise dating of the disappearance of diemenensis.
Whether a sight record in 1865 and captive specimens that died in 1873 were of this subspecies is not known with certainty.

Fences have been blamed for causing a reduction of emu numbers in mainland Australia due to the injury incurred when an emu collides with a fence.
It is highly probable that fences had the same effect in Tasmania.
While it is difficult to provide absolute proof, an article published by Peregrine in the Mercury supports this claim, stating that emus could not jump fences and tended to pace along the fence until they could find an opening, otherwise they would stay behind the fence.
Could the fence actually represent a larger issue relating to land use and greater competition between the emu and sheep and cattle for land, food and resources?
The emus in Van Diemen’s Land probably needed fertile and sheltered lands for reproduction on a scale that would maintain their population.
The process of farmers taking over, clearing and enclosing stretches of land could have had a detrimental impact on emu populations by limiting the amount of land needed for the em
In 1838, John Gould after his voyage to Van Diemen’s Land claimed that ‘it would require a month search, in the most remote parts of the island, before one could see any’. There were warnings about the increasing rarity of the emu. In 1826 a letter from Oyster Bay stated that ‘they will soon be extinct’. In 1831, a traveller reported that emus were rarely seen in the midlands, though they were numerous to the westward. A second letter in 1832 claimed that ‘the Emu is now extinct from the midland region around Bothwell’. That year dogs killed ‘a beautiful specimen of the emu’ at Oatlands. It weighed about 100 pounds (45 kg), and the skin was carefully stuffed. An article in the Hobart Town Courier in 1832 deplored the loss of the emu, comparing it to that of the Dodo, 'and we mention it particularly upon the present occasion, in order to impress upon our local government the propriety of taking some steps to prevent similar annihilation of that apparently no less valuable bird our native Emu. It is now very rarely to be met with in the island.' The author suggested keeping a few pairs in an enclosed area. This plea for preservation was echoed by Ronald Campbell Gunn who in 1836 reflected on an unsuccessful attempt to entice Lieutenant-Governor Arthur to respond to the plight of the Tasmanian emu, pointing out that ‘Emus are now extremely rare – and in a few years will be quite gone’. James Fenton, who arrived in 1834, wrote that he never saw an emu, and only heard of one being seen near the Leven in 1839. He claimed that the emus had all disappeared from some ‘unknown cause’. There are many theories about what led to the extinction of the Tasmanian emu.
 
The Tasmanian emu was, as were the mainland birds, hunted as a pest but more likely for food. While settlers used guns to hunt emus, the emu’s speed meant they were not necessarily effective hunting weapons on their own.  The introduction of the domestic dog changed this. It was so revolutionary that the introduction of dogs should be considered a major contributing factor to the extinction of the Tasmanian emu. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, Van Diemen’s Land did not have a domestic dog, nor was the dingo present. Other than humans, the only other species to hunt the emu was the thylacine, which was an endurance hunter with a tendency to track and tire its prey. In contrast, the domestic dog, bred for speed and size, had a formidable impact.
In addition, the practice of setting fire to grassland and shrubland to aid in claiming land for agriculture deprived the birds of habitat.  The subspecies became extinct around 1850, but this date is not very precise: mainland birds were introduced after diemenensis' disappearance (and possibly even when the last birds of the Tasmanian subspecies were still around, therefore hybridising them out of existence), but the history of emu introductions on Tasmania is not sufficiently documented to allow a more precise dating of the disappearance of diemenensis. Whether a sight record in 1865 and captive specimens that died in 1873 were of this subspecies is not known with certainty. 
Fences have been blamed for causing a reduction of emu numbers in mainland Australia due to the injury incurred when an emu collides with a fence. It is highly probable that fences had the same effect in Tasmania. While it is difficult to provide absolute proof, an article published by Peregrine in the Mercury supports this claim, stating that emus could not jump fences and tended to pace along the fence until they could find an opening, otherwise they would stay behind the fence. Could the fence actually represent a larger issue relating to land use and greater competition between the emu and sheep and cattle for land, food and resources? The emus in Van Diemen’s Land probably needed fertile and sheltered lands for reproduction on a scale that would maintain their population. The process of farmers taking over, clearing and enclosing stretches of land could have had a detrimental impact on emu populations by limiting the amount of land needed for the em
Tasmanian emu