Meet the world's most dangerous bird.
That is the cassowary.
This massive, flightless emu-like creature has been called "the most dangerous bird in the world." The reason is that this exotic bird can seriously injure or kill a human or dog in an instant with its deadly claws. In fact, cassowaries are listed as Class II animals (along with alligators and wild cats) in Florida due to the risk they pose, which means anyone who wishes to own one must pass numerous tests and get a special permit from local authorities.
‘Cassowary’ originates from two Papuan words: ‘kasu’ (meaning horned) and ‘wari’ (meaning head). The name refers to the cassowary’s casque, a hollow structure made of keratin (similar to that making our hair and nails), found on the bird’s head.
Like their cousins the emus, these large, flightless birds with bristly feathers are ratites. They are native to the tropical forests of south-east Asia and Australia. Though size varies across the three different species (see end of article), cassowaries can stand up to 2 m (6 ft 6 in) tall and weigh as much as 60 kg (132 lb) – the equivalent of six mute swans, which are the heftiest birds native to the UK.
I had not heard of this one before.
Sounds like a very macho/angry ostrich.
Read up more:
https://animals.howstuffworks.com/birds/cassowary.htm
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2019/4/why-the-cassowary-is-the-worlds-most-dangerous-bird-568931/
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/birds/facts-about-southern-cassowary/
Grace & Peace & Love to you all -
Matt
That is the cassowary.
This massive, flightless emu-like creature has been called "the most dangerous bird in the world." The reason is that this exotic bird can seriously injure or kill a human or dog in an instant with its deadly claws. In fact, cassowaries are listed as Class II animals (along with alligators and wild cats) in Florida due to the risk they pose, which means anyone who wishes to own one must pass numerous tests and get a special permit from local authorities.
‘Cassowary’ originates from two Papuan words: ‘kasu’ (meaning horned) and ‘wari’ (meaning head). The name refers to the cassowary’s casque, a hollow structure made of keratin (similar to that making our hair and nails), found on the bird’s head.
Like their cousins the emus, these large, flightless birds with bristly feathers are ratites. They are native to the tropical forests of south-east Asia and Australia. Though size varies across the three different species (see end of article), cassowaries can stand up to 2 m (6 ft 6 in) tall and weigh as much as 60 kg (132 lb) – the equivalent of six mute swans, which are the heftiest birds native to the UK.
I had not heard of this one before.
Sounds like a very macho/angry ostrich.
Read up more:
https://animals.howstuffworks.com/birds/cassowary.htm
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2019/4/why-the-cassowary-is-the-worlds-most-dangerous-bird-568931/
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/birds/facts-about-southern-cassowary/
Grace & Peace & Love to you all -
Matt