Deadly tent intruder at Aussie campsite triggers stark warning: 'Got out quickly'
Cassowaries are described as the world's most dangerous bird, with a single swipe of their three-taloned feet being enough to potentially kill a person.
Tourists are being reminded never to feed or interact with wild cassowaries at campsites in parts of the country's northeast, months after an initial warning largely failed to deter people from the act. It comes after a woman posted online this week showing one of the enormous — and dangerous — birds actually inside her tent in Queensland.
In August, Queensland's Department of Environment warned locals and travellers to practise caution at the Murray Falls Campground in the Girramay National Park, northwest of Cardwell in the state's north, as the cassowary population in the area had become accustomed to being fed.
The area's been dubbed "prime habitat" for the impressive birds, particularly in the vicinity of the national park, but cassowaries are known to frequent Mission Beach — about an hour's drive from Murray Falls — as one stunned camper recently found out. "Visitor just walked in with chicks, we moved out really quickly," the woman wrote on social media.
Responding to the picture, a spokesperson for Queensland's Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation told Yahoo News the snap likely reflects the fact people aren't getting the message and are continuing to feed the gargantuan birds — known as the world's most dangerous.
'Disappointing' photo sparks renewed warning to campers
The spokesperson encouraged Australians and those visiting the country to heed the advice for their own safety. "It is disappointing to see a cassowary in such close proximity to a camper, as seen in the [Mission Beach] photo, as this indicates it has been habituated to receiving food from humans," the spokesperson told Yahoo.
"Allowing cassowaries to associate humans with food is dangerous to both campers and the birds — and it is of particular concern for cassowaries with chicks, which are prone to becoming aggressive to protect their babies." Feeding young cassowaries can also teach the chicks to become reliant on humans for food which can have dire future consequences, the spokesperson added.
"Cassowaries are large birds with dagger-like talons on their feet, and they may get aggressive if they can’t access food or feel threatened, which is just another reason it’s so important they never learn to associate people with their next meal," they said.
"We ask campers to ensure all food, scraps and rubbish is secured and not accessible to cassowaries, and encourage people to report dangerous or concerning cassowary behaviour to the department."
The animals, which are the second heaviest bird in the world after the ostrich — and the third tallest, can grow up to two metres in height and weigh up to an incredible 80 kilograms.
Still sharing many distinct characteristics inherited from their dinosaur ancestors, including their three-taloned feet, cassowaries are the largest native vertebrate in Australian rainforests and an attack can easily prove deadly for humans.
Though fatalities are very rare (the only recorded Australian fatality was in 1926), serious injuries are more common, and largely come from people trying to feed them, as noted at Murray Falls. Southern cassowary behaviour is unpredictable and they are listed as endangered, with an estimated 4,400 cassowaries left in the wild.
Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week’s best stories.
