Just in case anyone else is interested (I think it is!) - here's a picture of a fresh cassowary scat we saw on a trail in Mission Beach, QLD. Didn't get to see the culprit on this occasion, but we did see another up close and personal the next day (pic below, and check the vids section of this forum for the full vid).
It shows how important they are to the wet tropics' rainforests - check out the number of different berries and seeds!
Also a pic of its footprint - truly prehistoric and it shows the size and toe spread.
Cheers
Luke
Interesting pics ....sure is a lot in those droppings
Good thing they can't fly - you wouldn't want that on your windscreen!!
I did see one Cassowary many years ago near Yungaburra in NQ. It just wandered around the grounds of a tourist park, but we were advised to keep well clear of it. Unfortunately this was pre-digital and I didn't get a photo of it. Very large, and potentially dangerous!
Des
Hey Des,
We stayed with a member of the C4 (Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation: http://www.cassowaryconservation.asn.au/) in Mission Beach, volunteering at his farm. We got a great insight into cassowary behaviour from him. Mission Beach is a great place, and really focused on cassowary conservation. There are road signs every few hundred metres warning drivers to slow down to avoid collisions with the birds. Unfortunately accidents are still a major cause of cassowary deaths.
Along with habitat loss, the other major threat to their survival is human interaction - once a bird receives food from a human (who probably means well), it can develop a habit of approaching other people. This is the same even if someone feeds one through a car window - the birds will actually approach moving cars in search of a meal. Not only does this increase road acccidents, it also poses a big problem when people feel threatened by a bird approaching them directly. Whilst it's most likely only seeking a feed, their reputations precede them - humans react aggressively, and situations can escalate quickly from there.
In terms of potential for danger, cassowaries do have the ability to cause serious damage to humans and other animals. But in reality, they very rarely pose a direct threat if left alone. The exceptions to this are when they have chicks with them, or if they are being harassed by dogs/people. They will attack when cornered, or to protect their young. So the tourist park was definitely correct when they advised to stay clear - on several levels!
But, as was the case when we saw ours, an "untouched" bird will show very little interest in humans at all. Ours barely even glanced at us on its way past - it was simply scanning the ground for berries, and continued on its way up the path.
Cheers
Luke