Văn ToànCassowaries are one of the world's largest birds, and they look like they're from another geological era. They're as tall as humans, have shiny black feathers and piercing eyes, walk on two legs, weigh up to 140 pounds, and have a long, sharp claw on each foot.
"Cassowaries have a very primitive look to them. They look like living dinosaurs," says Andrew Mack, who has spent five years studying cassowaries in the wild in Papua New Guinea. Cassowaries are flightless. They're considered the world's most dangerous birds. Their more famous cousin is the emu, one of Australia's national symbols.
Although they mostly live alone in the jungle and have little contact with humans, cassowaries are now an endangered species. In addition to their impressive appearance, they play an important role in the rainforest ecosystem. The world’s largest fruit-eating animal, cassowaries eat and consume dozens of fruits a day, helping to disperse and regrow seeds throughout the forest. They are also a rare species in which the male does most of the care for the young. Female cassowaries lay eggs and then leave the nest, so the male incubates them and raises the chicks. They are very protective of their young. Non-food-related clashes between cassowaries and humans occur when people get too close to the chicks. Last year, a Queensland woman tried to stop a hungry cassowary from stealing her sandwich.
Peter Rowles, founder of Community for Coastal & Cassowary Conservation (C4), is a long-time resident of Mission Beach, a coastal community in north Queensland near Daintree National Park, the cassowary’s primary Australian habitat. “If you encounter a cassowary in the wild, the first thing to do is put your hands behind your back. Being boring will not attract their attention. Move behind a tree and blend in with the environment. Don’t shout and wave your arms. If you have food in your pocket, put it in your pocket, out of sight, and they won’t see you as a potential food source,” Rowles said.
While humans tend to scream and run in the opposite direction when encountering cassowaries, this is often counterproductive. Like ostriches and emus, cassowaries are bipedal animals that can run as fast as humans. A 2001 study in the journal Zoology found that human feeding cassowaries was responsible for 75% of dangerous encounters. According to the study’s author, Christopher P. Kofron, the act of feeding alters their natural behavior, making them bold and aggressive. In Papua New Guinea, cassowaries are not a protected species, and locals often roast and eat the birds if they catch them.
People who want to avoid cassowaries while visiting Queensland should avoid driving black or dark blue cars, Rowles said. In the past, cassowaries saw their reflection in a car and panicked, thinking a rival bird was nearby.
