This photo was taken just outside of Innisfail in the Cassowary Coast, an hour south of Cairns.
“As tall as a person, with a high helmet on its head, a vivid blue neck and long drooping red wattles — this is the southern cassowary, found only in the tropical rainforests of north-east Queensland, Papua New Guinea and some surrounding islands.” EPA website
Cassowaries are an endangered species of birds found in the rainforests of north-eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea. They live in the rainforest, melaleuca and mangrove forests and need to eat a wide range of tropical native fruits to survive. The father cassowary raises the chicks and stays with them until they are around 12 months old before encouraging them to go our on their own. The cassowary is Australia’s heaviest flightless bird and is related to the emu, the ostrich and New Zealand’s Rhea. Although the cassowary is a bird it can be a dangerous animal and if you are fortunate enough to see one in the wild it’s best to keep your distance.
You can see cassowaries at several local wildlife parks including the Johnstone River Crocodile Park, (Innisfail) Cairns Tropical Zoo (Palm Cove) and the Rainforest Habitat (Port Douglas). The best place for seeing cassowaries in the wild is Etty Bay south of Innisfail.
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Tags: bird, cassowary, rainforest, Wildlife