Cassowary on brink of extinction

The exotic prehistoric-looking Southern Cassowary is being wiped out by threats not only to its habitat but also from local wildlife

HOW MANY ESTIMATED IN THE WILD?

*less than 2,000

THREATS:

*land clearing

*traffic

*dogs stealing and eating the Cassowary chicks

*feral pigs that damage their habitat

*disease

QUICK FACTS

*their habitat is mainly in the Wet Tropics Rainforests in Far North Queensland

*The Southern Cassowary is the second largest bird in the world after the ostrich.

*Their life spans about 30 years in the wild

*can grow to two metres in height

*reaches speeds of up to 40 km/hr

*can leap up to five feet off the ground

*has an extra long claw on each of its feet

*unleashes a fierce attack kicking out with both feet, head butting and pecking when cornered

*otherwise the cassowary runs away with its helmet-like head - called a casque - lowered

*mainly eats fruit and sometimes forages for smaller insects and dead rodents

*the brown striped feathers of the chicks turn shiny black and their colours emerge when they reach maturity aged three

*breeding season is from June to October, during which the female often lays about four eggs at a time

*emits a low vibrating sound

*the father looks after the chicks for the first seven months