This Bird Resembling a Prehistoric Creature is Deemed the World’s Most Dangerous

[Un article initialement publié en mai 2024]

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Among the thousands of bird species recorded in the world, the cassowary of the Casuariidae family is undoubtedly the most dangerous of all, at least for humans.

Given their imposing size, ostriches and emus can also be dangerous to humans if they are aggressive. However, the prize for dangerousness does indeed go to the cassowary.

Native to the tropical forests of Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia, the cassowary is a rather shy animal that is difficult to observe in the wild. However, this does not prevent him from being able to do a lot of damage when he is aggressive.

The cassowary, a formidable bird with a prehistoric appearance

Cassowary attacks are rare, but they have been fatal in the past. A tragedy thus took place in a private collection of captive birds in Florida in 2019. These birds can react violently when provoked.

In terms of physical characteristics, it is not difficult to imagine that the cassowary is descended from dinosaurs. In addition to its prehistoric appearance, this bird can weigh more than 70 kg and measure 1.80 m high. We therefore understand why their attacks can be so dangerous.

Like ostriches and emus, cassowaries cannot fly. Their extremely powerful legs, however, can propel them at high speeds. They also move in water as well as on dry land. Not to mention that they can jump more than 2 meters in the air.

Cassowaries can attack with their long, sharp claws

Wild cassowaries have already been observed running at up to 50 km/h in the rainforest. These large birds are therefore almost as fast as leopards. They use their legs to deliver powerful kicks when they decide to attack or defend themselves.

Sharp, dagger-like claws that measure over 10 cm long can also slash and slash their victims, whether animal or human. They are omnivorous birds. They feed on fallen fruits, insects, snails and mushrooms.

Cassowaries can also feast on the carcasses of dead animals. They have even been observed fishing in streams. They “sit” in the stream and spread their feathers to form a sort of net to catch fish.

The males incubate the eggs for 50 days.

Another particularity of cassowaries is that it is the males who incubate the eggs in the nest for around fifty days until they hatch. There are on average three eggs per nest. To give you an idea, a cassowary egg weighs about the same as ten chicken eggs.

There are also three species of cassowaries in the family Casuariidae:

• The helmeted cassowary: the largest species that lives in Indonesia, New Guinea and northeastern Australia;
• Bennett's cassowary: the smallest species found in New Guinea;
• The single-horned cassowary: it lives in northern New Guinea.

Source: Library of Congress