This is the elusive and endangered Cassowary. Looking like a genetically modified emu X pterodactyl and with a hint of parrot, it is a wingless bird. Found in Australia and PNG they number only around 1000 in Australia so spotting one is pretty precious. I cautiously photographed this one at a National Park near Bebinda in Northern QLD.
Much like a raptor, the cassowary has a disemboweling claw which is used to slice, rip, or shred in conflict. The Cassowary has reported to have caused two deaths in Australia however the numbers are much higher in PNG.
One tragedy occurred in Australia when a 10 yr.old boy's dog went after a Cassowary. The big bird retaliated and chased the dog who retreated back to his young owner. Both dog and boy ran in fright then the boy tripped. The Cassowary ran over him ripping his jugular vain open with the evil claw. Horrible!
On the flip side, the cassowary in Australia is responsible for spreading 70% of the larger seeds in the Daintree Forest. The unique bird can ingest the largest seeds and then pass them through poo allowing them to spread far and wide, which is crucial for seedling attempting to compete for sunlight under the thick rainforest's canopy.
Check out those wattles
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