Encounters with helmeted cassowaries in the rainforest are rather rare. However, at a campsite in the tropical northeast of Australia, some specimens have lost all their shyness. Rangers are worried.
In the popular area of Murray Falls in Girramay National Park (Queensland), a bold pair of the powerful ratites recently dangerously approached tourists, Australian broadcaster ABC quoted local gamekeeper Alex Diczbalis as saying. The cassowaries even snatched food from visitors’ hands and plates.
Humans are a “reliable source of food” for the cassowary
“We observed two birds working together, circling the campsite in search of easy-to-catch food,” he said. The behavior is a sign that the flightless cassowaries (Casuarius casuarius) have learned to view humans on the site as a reliable source of food. But this could have devastating consequences.
Although the prehistoric-looking cassowaries rarely attack humans, they can cause potentially fatal injuries, especially to children. Although they are not aggressive, they can panic and defend themselves if they feel threatened, says environmental scientist Peter Valentine of James Cook University. “They have a very well-developed claw on their feet that acts like a stabbing weapon and is able to penetrate human bodies from a distance.”
Grilled sausages for the cassowaries? That costs a fine of almost 4000 euros
Deliberately feeding cassowaries is illegal in Queensland and carries a maximum fine of around 6,400 Australian dollars (3,900 euros). “It’s really important that these birds are in the rainforest and eat real rainforest fruits,” Diczbalis stressed.
This is because they excrete the seeds mostly undamaged and ensure that they are spread. Cassowaries therefore play an indispensable role in the rainforest. Fruit is definitely a more suitable diet for them than grilled sausages, added the gamekeeper.
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