EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

Cassowary Chase

Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius), Family Casuariidae
Queensland, Australia

Explanation:  This was dangerous.  My Australian mate and I were exploring the tropical forests of northern Queensland, Australia ... when from out of the dark forest strode this holdover from the dinosaur days.

This is an immature Southern Cassowary, the heaviest bird in Australia.  It was mostly curious about these two interlopers into its forest habitat, and fearlessly approached us without stopping.  We knew enough to not make direct eye contact, and to not turn our back, and not run.  

Cassowaries can be immensely dangerous when provoked, and can attack with swift kicks that can disembowel with a huge claw.

Notice the dagger-like claw on the 3rd toe,
quite the weapon for offense or defense.  

We slowly backed up into a small opening in the forest where an old garden had gone to seed.  The Cassowary kept following us, relentlessly, approaching closer and closer.

The immature cassowary, shown here, lacks the tall "helmet" shield on
the top of the head that is sported by the adult birds.

At one point, the bird/dinosaur came right up to me, nearly at face level.  I slowly, gently nudged a bit of garden wire fence out of the ground and held it in front of me.  The bird stopped and inspected the item, hardly a defense against a sudden lunge or kick ... but it seemed to do the trick and dissuaded further advance.

Until the bird then turned its attention onto my friend and advanced on him with even, measured strides.  Friend and bird then did a slow circular dance around more wire fencing, until the bird grew bored or frustrated ... and then finally slowly departed back into the darkness of the tropical forest.