This bird is not one that you want to sneak up on. It's not quite as tall as an emu but it has enormous claws and the sign on its enclosure warned visitors that it is unpredictable and bad-tempered. With its strange head plate and vibrant face it also looks like it's ready for battle. Unlike many of the other animals at the sanctuary it had a double fence surrounding its enclosure. And the two males were separated so they wouldn't fight. These pictures are better than mine since I had to photograph it through the fence. There are numerous accounts of cassowarries attacking people, most of the time when it perceived danger but there are also lots of accounts of people being attacked without provoking the bird. It's large enough to kill people and has injured people by slashing at them with its long, sharp claws. I've read of joggers being chased and treed while the bird waits below: it's particularly aggressive when its young is around.
1 comment:
Looks like you are getting a pretty good taste of Australian wildlife. We do have kangaroos that occasionaly hop through our place and the odd koala, but no doubt they will fail to put in appearance while you are here. Enjoy the cooler weather down south, because once you hit Cairns then Brisbane the humidity may be a bit oppressive. I'm heading down to Victoria from 15th to 21 to see my folks and am almost looking forward to a top temperature of 19 deg!! Finished teaching on Friday 12th, so now it's catch-up time. Looking forward to seeing you both on 24th. Jill is now signing us up for a google account so I can post this. Jenny
Jenny
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