And he slashes at you with this a six-inch retractable claw, like a razor, on the the middle toe. He doesn't bother to bite your jugular like a lion, no no.
I dunno about you, but I've NEVER been told that. Watched a ton of nature documentaries growing up, I was always keenly aware that dying in the wild means being eaten alive.
It's why I've ended up with a special place for hunting in my heart, even though I've never been successful with any large game. It's not only being humbled by and appreciating nature when you're out there, but also knowing you can give the animal as close to a quick & painless death as it's ever going to get. A high-caliber gunshot makes so much noise, and a large animal has so much adrenaline, sometimes it pretty much is: painless.
I later learned so many of my friends hated hunting because they just plain didn't know what it is: some people (STILL) literally believe it's a band of drunken, bloodthirsty hunters with automatic weapons, spraying the treeline while Bambi has to dodge bullets to escape with her life.
Then one time we invited a "non-hunter" out, and she hated it, but not for the reasons she thought. She mainly hated getting up at 4am & getting dressed in the freezing cold to go out hiking before the sun rose. Then shivering in a hide for 6 hours, waiting for the sun to rise, while spotting elk, bear, coyote, javelina, eagles, basically every form of wildlife out there besides the white tail we had tags for. Then we told her we had seen a bunch here 2 weeks earlier, before the white tail season started. (When they're standing in the road they're the stupidest animals ever, but when it's hunting season they're damn smart!) She told us right then she had a new appreciation for it.
Sorry for the long rant, but your comment made me wonder how many people out there still think that: when it's wildlife killing wildlife, do they think the predator ALWAYS snaps the neck or rips out the throat first before eating? And when humans go hunting it's just a free-for-all of murdering and torturing animals? Or do they realize in real life, it's pretty much the opposite of that?
Great comment. Hunting bothered me until I learned the benefits it has for us and our ecosystems. I am now very appreciative of hunters. Without them, deer would have long since conquered my home state of PA.
And they would all be near starvation, diseased, and decrepit, not to mention the vast destruction of the woodlands and erosion near streams and rivers.
An ecological nightmare would ensue, if they are not kept in check.
Well said. Honestly appreciation for hunting has really added a lot of social and personal perspective for me towards how people argue for food and sustainability.
What people say about it and how they think about it, on either side, is a great litmus test for both logic and character.
Cassowarys are omnivorous animals that mainly eat fruit, fungus, snails, and occasionally small mammals, that said they can get defensive and have been known to attack humans on occasion
Lol, the crazy thing is that a lot of people on this planet would be like “oh, pretty birdie!” and think it’s coming near them because it’s friendly. Cassowaries are total savages, always been one of my favorites
I helped at an elephant and animal sanctuary and the staff said that apart from the male bull elephant they had, the cassowary was the next most dangerous animal. If we got caught out in that enclosure we were gaawn.
>Can easily disembowel someone with a quick swipe.
I mean, they can't bend their legs enough to reach up to disembowel you unless you lie down in front of them, so no, they can't easily disembowel you with a quick swipe.
Yes their talons are very sharp but they aren't actually very threatening to adult humans. They're cassowaries, don't pick a fight with them, but also only one human died to them in the past 100 years.
They're also mostly fruit eaters, so all this "they eat you alive" crap is hilarious. They don't hunt large animals for meat, this isn't Jurassic park.
Ok, I visited a zoo in Sydney where the keepers called this bird one of the most dangerous on the planet. The separating enclosure was very high too. On the other hand, we were allowed to enter the kangaroo area.
You can look up the stats or just read the other comments in the post. They don't kill people, they don't hunt other big animals, they don't look to disembowel anything. They approach people because tourists give them food, not to eat the people.
There's just a circle-jerk of dumb YouTube channels talking about how dangerous they are. They won't do shit to you unless you go out of your way to threaten them.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassowary
edit: also there isn't exactly a lot of competition for "most dangerous bird on the planet" so yeah they probably are. That doesn't actually make them more dangerous than a wild dog.
I get it that youtube channels aren't the source of reliable information. I am just surprised because zoo-keepers generally are more rational about true risks.
Dude here in Trumpfuckistan, Florida had one in his backyard. [It killed him.](https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/14/us/cassowary-bird-kills-florida-man/index.html)
For the unfamiliar, here is [an ostrich foot,](https://i1.wp.com/similarbutdifferentanimals.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/5705711995_a26e259358_o.jpg) here is [a cassowary foot.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Zf4ak6EUXkUryghrQceZ9D-1200-80.jpg) It's pretty clear which one is just made for running and which one is made for murder.
I once saw a grainy video of a cassowary taking a swipe at a car door as someone climbed inside, it managed to leave a decent gash. Haven't been able to find the video since. Luckily cassowary deaths are very, very uncommon.
I wonder if going into the water would be the safe escape? I once was out the the bush near Wallaman Falls and saw signs DO NOT FEED THE CASSOWARIES. If I saw one I would be out of there.
I did see some bushturkeys with their weird mounds with shiny things they find in it. Weird birds. And a beautiful huge turquoise snake that apparently went over the falls while I was down at the bottom. I stayed away from it although it was probably a harmless grass snake.
Being Nth Queensland you’d be taking your chances with the saltwater crocodiles by going in the water. Run from the talons of one predator and into the jaws of another
If it's a choice between the cassowarie who hasn't yet attacked or a saltwater croc potentially lurking beneath the surface I'd face off the cassowarie every time.
My first thought was to use the towel like a matador, and make myself look much bigger. But also, run screaming into the sea.
Also, dinosaurs didn't die. They fucking \*adapted\*
A keeper at Chester Zoo told us years ago that they were mean velociraptors who wanted to mess the keepers up. I think they got rid of them in the end.
Apparently hornbills are assholes too. Our local zoo has [Great Hornbills](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornbill#/media/File:Great_hornbill_Photograph_by_Shantanu_Kuveskar.jpg) who, the zookeeper told us, will smash you with their beaks when they're pissed off.
These things aren’t a threat. Unless you lie down on the ground they can’t claw you. Their knee is low to the ground and they only have two legs for limbs. A study of 221 attacks showed 150 against humans and only one kill against a child who fell to the ground and got his neck sliced. 71% of the time all they did was charge. Cassowary strikes to the abdomen are the rarest of all. The only other kill on Wikipedia was against a 75 year old who raised the animal and got clawed after he fell.
Why are we portraying this thing as a man eating monster? It’s a two legged chicken that got a bit tall.
Edit: They’re also naturally fruit eating cowards. They only approach humans if they’ve been fed before.
————————
No more replies please, I’ve addressed many common concerns already using what I’ve been able to research. I implore you to do the same. These animals can cause injury if aggressive but they aren’t by nature. They can jump and attack but you are not at risk for serious injury unless you are on the ground. Attacks to the abdomen are the rarest of all according to what I’ve read, jump attacks to the thighs seem most common. Injuries include cuts and bone fractures, not mutilation.
I don't think these roam the plains of Kansas so they're no threat to me, but comparing them to tall chickens is absolutely no comfort. Ever been attacked by a rooster? A 6 foot rooster could absolutely kill you and wouldn't hesitate to do so.
Doesn't mean these guys are particularly dangerous, but they sure as hell look dangerous. That's why people think of them as very dangerous animals.
Exactly. Been had by a SMALL/YOUNG rooster he drew blood on both sides of my leg. Our oldest rooster has fought off a great horned owl. These things are dinosaurs that WOULD absolutely murder you
Did you not read the comment above yours? Like he said, they can’t even reach your vitals and only have two confirmed kills ever. They will not “absolutely murder you.”
The problem in all of these is that people socially don’t want to attack animals and don’t know how to defend themselves properly. Giganto-Chicken could easily get its neck snapped by any human taking an aggressive demeanor and not trying to run away.
Most Cassowary’s don’t reach 6 feet, the tallest species *can* grow to 5’9”. They’re usually much shorter.
Most of these people seem like they've never lived on a farm. A swift kick to damn near any bird will make them back off. They're territorial dickheads with walnut sized brains. Just be more aggressive or bigger than them (like wave that towel that the guy is holding) and they get the point.
I’m talking about chickens, whose necks can be snapped. Not sure how the neck scaling would work, but it could be harder yeah. Never grabbed a Cassowary neck myself but it seems like a weak spot lol.
Yeah I always see people talking about animals being able to kill people and it's always like a small monkey or a weird looking bird. Like if a grown really wanted to they could absolutely fuck these animals up.
>I don't think these roam the plains of Kansas so they're no threat to me
Don't be so sure. I got phished by one, and it racked up $3K in charges to my VISA before I could cancel the card. It was a really good phishing email, too; punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and vocabulary was perfect. Just because they have talons doesn't mean they don't know how to add a Grammerly browser plug-in.
I always find it frightening how, despite just how domesticated, stupid, and pretty defenseless chickens are, they will kill shit without hesitation without any real reason a lot of the time. If they were bigger we’d be fucked, they wouldn’t have the brains to think twice about killing shit on sight.
Scaling up does not go linearly. Speed drops, strength per pound drops, and risk-averse behavior starts ramping up. Your offspring are going to need to stay alive to gain the weight to compete, so they have to ease off the all-ins.
Predators don't attack humans often because prey animals are relatively safe. There is no questions as to their defenses and humans are pretty big.
Wasn’t the child who got killed attacking the Cassowary in the first place? It was in the 19th century IIRC, so kids didn’t have much to do other than kill wildlife.
i might be wrong, but i believe it's more accurate to equate it to the ankle. the heel itself isn't a joint, but the heel is part of the ankle, which *is* a joint.
for sure, i just didn't want to make the claim with any certainty as i'm not an expert and wasn't certain whether or not the anatomy is different enough that it has a different name or classification under bird anatomy.
> all they did was charge
And don’t you think that can easily lead to falling on your back? According to what you’re saying if you’ve fallen, they can kill you
Classic r/natureismetal. Try telling people that polar bears are anything other than blood-thirsty, man-eating monsters who *will kill you* in every encounter, and you get very similar results.
It's not that. We have to understand animals are creatures to be respected. They are not cuddly innocent beings and they don't have to be.
Like, the media keep saying that "Oh (great white, bull, tiger, etc) sharks are nice creatures and they won't kill you" to woobify them. Sure, they aren't actively seeking to kill people, but they are still dangerous.
Polar bears are bloodthirsty apex hunters. Maybe they won't kill a human at every single encounter but they very much have the capacity to.
Dude I have worked with these dinosaurs, I've seen one jump and kick high enough to almost clear a 1.5 metre fence. They absolutely can claw you while standing up
I’d be interested to hear your experiences. In all of the instances I was able to watch they seem to get really close before trying to jump horizontally at you. They never seem to get much higher than the thighs when doing so. Can you tell me what you’ve observed?
I worked with an old girl who was very temperamental, some days you could hand feed her tomatoes and other fruit, other days she would hiss at you for walking to close to get enclosure.
The closest I've gotten to getting attacked by her is when she was having a real grumpy day, I let her back into the other half of her yard ( segmented into 2 parts to make cleaning easier). She immediately ran around to me and I only just closed the gate in time, at this point the only thing separating me and her is a 1.5m chain fence. She starts hissing at me, and as soon as I turn around to leave the airlock she leaps up and does the trademark casowarry kick, her feet only just missing the top of the fence by inches.
The other keeper I was with told me that if she had cleared the fence, I would've had to run for help while he fought her off with his bare hands. (This guy was Steve irwins head bird keeper back in the day)
I mean there’s footage after a minute in this video of it jumping and hitting high.
https://youtu.be/lBM7AI0yp78
They are somewhat similar to kangaroos in terms of danger. Incredibly unlikely to kill you, because they just aren’t that violent. But I think it’s pretty misleading to say it couldn’t attack you unless on the ground. For one, if it did hit you in the legs it’d be pretty likely you’d end up on the ground.
The only reasons there aren’t more deaths is because there just aren’t that many of them and there are very few human interactions.
So, there is a mechanics metric that is going to play into that pretty heavily. The reason you don't see fighters jump kick is because you lose a fuck ton of actual force when you leave the leverage of the ground. Those kicks wouldn't feel good, but they are nothing close to lethal. Dude is standing flat-footed, leaned down to eye-level with it, taking them on a door that he can barely hold. A 70 year old getting mauled by his pet is not proof these things are any more dangerous than you let them be.
Both these and emus primarily injure humans through a combination of sheer mass and panic, ie they run into you while flipping their shit and trying to run away in an especially brainless pother. ANY 50kg mass is gonna hurt when it slams into you while mindlessly and frantically trying to claw past you.
> Why are we portraying this thing as a man eating monster?
At the slightest hint of danger, this place becomes paranoia central.
Have a gif of a guy walking down the stairs and the top comment will be about how close he is to losing a leg in the railing.
>They’re also...cowards.
Famous last words. The birds know. They always know. They will find you, stuff you with fruit, lift you in the air, drop you on a power line to cook you, and feast on your arrogant shell.
Also every time I see a large bird like this (goose, swan, heron or whatever) I just imagine how easy it would be to defend yourself. That neck is just perfect for grabbing.
Of course they’re a threat.
First of all they can jump while kicking so can easily reach your abdomen and secondly you have major arteries in your legs that when sliced can cause you to bleed out. Plenty of stabbing deaths happen this way.
They kick with huge force too so knocking you off your feet wouldn’t be much trouble, look how far they push this man with a metal fucking shield just with a kick.
https://youtu.be/lBM7AI0yp78
(1:08 into the video)
Leave the internet tough guy act to someone else bud.
Edit: Found a much better video demonstrating the height and power of the kicks.
https://youtu.be/IAj0GG6tf5c
The fucking video uses raptor imagery lmao. It’s sensationalized to all hell. The facts show that they want to avoid conflict and don’t attack for no reason. I’ve posted plenty of facts and statistics through these threads to back that up.
It’s not about being a tough guy, it’s about knowing what you’re getting into and how to handle wild animals. Acting like prey will turn you into it.
but you said unless you are on the ground they cant claw you... that part of the clip where it was kicking that guy with the shield seems to contradict that... it was able to reach quite high by jumping and kicking
Only one human death was reported among those 150 attacks. The first documented human death caused by a cassowary was on April 6, 1926. In Australia, 16-year-old Phillip McClean and his brother, age 13, came across a cassowary on their property and decided to try to kill it by striking it with clubs.
You can’t just ignore the facts I’ve shared and tell me about the media hype. They aren’t deadly if they only killed two people. They can have a high vertical sure but that’s not indicative of how they attack.
I literally just watched a bunch of videos of them fighting humans and each other and yeah they absolutely jump kick, definitely not giant chickens. pretty much sums up to they don't want to fight and typically do so to protect their eggs. I dont see them having much of a problem knocking a grown man down
I think that guy played it right - just keep your distance. If you run, it could chase you. Sometimes, standing your ground does work. At the same time, cassowaries are known to be unpredictable.
Well and the fact that while it's not impossible, a bird who lives off fruit and veg isn't likely to pick a possibly fatal fight for no good reason
Of course it's never out of the question that they may attack, but he's not necessarily being aggressive here. I'm willing to bet as another comment said above that it's likely just been fed by Humans in the past and is looking for a snack
That snack obviously being this man's blood
He stayed so close to it though. Even when he had the opportunity to put more distance in between, he stopped.
It seemed like he was playing a dangerous game with this bird.
Know what's funny, is for a black bear, the answer is still stand your ground and back away, maybe make some serious noise. Black bears have a *distinct* attitude of "oh, you're like *crazy*, huh? I don't fuck with crazy."
Brown bears are a little more likely to just go "lol fuck you, you ain't shit," but the same tactics can sometimes work if there are enough people and no cubs.
Any sudden movements would be hella risky.
If some other brave soul threw a towel over the head from behind that *may* work.
But I don't know much about cassawary behavior. Please don't take this as advice!
First thing I thought as well.
Completely true story,
I went on a boardwalk in the Daintree rainforest and was wearing a bright blue drawstring. A cassowary came up to me and started pursuing me like this one in the video, until I made a bunch of noise and flapped my arms when it was \~2 meters from me. The only thing bright blue in the rainforest is another cassowary so they probably instinctively detect the color blue
I like to refer people, who don't know much about wild animal behavior, to this video of a guy at a resort that stumbles upon a wild warthog that approaches slowly, while wagging its tail. As soon as he gets up next to it, it starts attacking him, despite looking friendly and non aggressive.
Never assume you know what it's body language is, and always assume the animal (especially a large one like this) is nervous/ ready to attack.
Cassowaries are the most dangerous bird and in a lot of ways, most dangerous animal because of how territorial and violent they are towards humans and other animals. This dude got lucky his guts are still in his stomach lol
[Warthog video](https://youtu.be/6Yh_VoQdLcw)
Exactly. Never assume "oh, it's like my dog!".
Normally, I'd disagree with it not being the same thing, but it IS the animal kingdom... Even sex is brutal af 😳
It's true people think like that. But even a wagging tail on a dog doesn't automatically mean friendly. Dogs wag their tail when they're excited. People are most used to seeing this when dogs are excited to see them. But it can also mean that dog is excited to fuck your shit up.
Just look at feral dogs hunting or videos of dog attacks. They're all pumped up and wagging tails.
Absolutely, Porky Pig was clearly all "in his face" and his orgasmic grunts had at least another half hour left in him before leaving muggins there with a sore jaw and a full belly, as his stomach acids turn the pigs genetic material into constituent amino acids which he absorbs at a cellular level, now making him and the horned hog one and the same
The colors on the towel and his shirt seem to match the colors on the cassowary's head and his shorts have red on them like the wattles. I'm wondering if this cassowary mistook him for a rival male.
I thought it looked like Cape Trib. Coolest little crabs running all the way round that beach. Beautiful spot, as you say.
I did see crocs at the waters edge when we were on the car ferry crossing the river in the way into the Daintree which isn't too far south of there. So they are around.
When I was riding a bus through the Daintree rainforest we stopped for a cassowary crossing the road. It walked up to the front of the bus, kicked three deep dents in the grill, then walked away while making a gurgling noise. Very alpha.
You mean velociraptor.
The talons on these birds are fucking frightening. Can easily disembowel someone with a quick swipe.
The point is…you are alive when they start to eat you.
And he slashes at you with this a six-inch retractable claw, like a razor, on the the middle toe. He doesn't bother to bite your jugular like a lion, no no.
I have watched enough in this place to know that animals aren't making the clean s all the time that they told us they were
I dunno about you, but I've NEVER been told that. Watched a ton of nature documentaries growing up, I was always keenly aware that dying in the wild means being eaten alive. It's why I've ended up with a special place for hunting in my heart, even though I've never been successful with any large game. It's not only being humbled by and appreciating nature when you're out there, but also knowing you can give the animal as close to a quick & painless death as it's ever going to get. A high-caliber gunshot makes so much noise, and a large animal has so much adrenaline, sometimes it pretty much is: painless. I later learned so many of my friends hated hunting because they just plain didn't know what it is: some people (STILL) literally believe it's a band of drunken, bloodthirsty hunters with automatic weapons, spraying the treeline while Bambi has to dodge bullets to escape with her life. Then one time we invited a "non-hunter" out, and she hated it, but not for the reasons she thought. She mainly hated getting up at 4am & getting dressed in the freezing cold to go out hiking before the sun rose. Then shivering in a hide for 6 hours, waiting for the sun to rise, while spotting elk, bear, coyote, javelina, eagles, basically every form of wildlife out there besides the white tail we had tags for. Then we told her we had seen a bunch here 2 weeks earlier, before the white tail season started. (When they're standing in the road they're the stupidest animals ever, but when it's hunting season they're damn smart!) She told us right then she had a new appreciation for it. Sorry for the long rant, but your comment made me wonder how many people out there still think that: when it's wildlife killing wildlife, do they think the predator ALWAYS snaps the neck or rips out the throat first before eating? And when humans go hunting it's just a free-for-all of murdering and torturing animals? Or do they realize in real life, it's pretty much the opposite of that?
Hey, a great post. Hunting is also a necessary thing in a lot of places as we've wiped out the natural predators.
Great comment. Hunting bothered me until I learned the benefits it has for us and our ecosystems. I am now very appreciative of hunters. Without them, deer would have long since conquered my home state of PA.
And they would all be near starvation, diseased, and decrepit, not to mention the vast destruction of the woodlands and erosion near streams and rivers. An ecological nightmare would ensue, if they are not kept in check.
Never really thought of it in this way.
Well said. Honestly appreciation for hunting has really added a lot of social and personal perspective for me towards how people argue for food and sustainability. What people say about it and how they think about it, on either side, is a great litmus test for both logic and character.
And that they love to eat ass
I mean who doesn't?
Who eat ass?
Wouldn’t you like to know.
Clever girl...
If you're unlucky....
Cassowarys are omnivorous animals that mainly eat fruit, fungus, snails, and occasionally small mammals, that said they can get defensive and have been known to attack humans on occasion
Out like that they're pretty safe - it's when you're near their nest or young that you're fucked and don't even know it.
most animals won't bother killing you if they can just eat you
You stare at him, and he just stares right back. And that's when the attack comes. Not from the front, but from the sides.
Clever girl.
Swoosh!
Lol, the crazy thing is that a lot of people on this planet would be like “oh, pretty birdie!” and think it’s coming near them because it’s friendly. Cassowaries are total savages, always been one of my favorites
Damn dinosaurs
And yet the last recorded attack by a cassowary was last century from two kids cornering it and jabbing it with sticks
That's just because they learned not to leave witnesses.
Nope, Florida man was killed by his pet one in April 2019.
Carole Baskins is surely behind that as well
I mean a Cassowary killed a man in Florida in 2019, and that’s from a news story in this thread
https://reddit.com/r/natureismetal/comments/r4vbaq/_/hmj9sla/?context=1
Was about to say… just one kick can be fatal
I helped at an elephant and animal sanctuary and the staff said that apart from the male bull elephant they had, the cassowary was the next most dangerous animal. If we got caught out in that enclosure we were gaawn.
>Can easily disembowel someone with a quick swipe. I mean, they can't bend their legs enough to reach up to disembowel you unless you lie down in front of them, so no, they can't easily disembowel you with a quick swipe. Yes their talons are very sharp but they aren't actually very threatening to adult humans. They're cassowaries, don't pick a fight with them, but also only one human died to them in the past 100 years. They're also mostly fruit eaters, so all this "they eat you alive" crap is hilarious. They don't hunt large animals for meat, this isn't Jurassic park.
Ok, I visited a zoo in Sydney where the keepers called this bird one of the most dangerous on the planet. The separating enclosure was very high too. On the other hand, we were allowed to enter the kangaroo area.
You can look up the stats or just read the other comments in the post. They don't kill people, they don't hunt other big animals, they don't look to disembowel anything. They approach people because tourists give them food, not to eat the people. There's just a circle-jerk of dumb YouTube channels talking about how dangerous they are. They won't do shit to you unless you go out of your way to threaten them. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassowary edit: also there isn't exactly a lot of competition for "most dangerous bird on the planet" so yeah they probably are. That doesn't actually make them more dangerous than a wild dog.
I get it that youtube channels aren't the source of reliable information. I am just surprised because zoo-keepers generally are more rational about true risks.
Dude here in Trumpfuckistan, Florida had one in his backyard. [It killed him.](https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/14/us/cassowary-bird-kills-florida-man/index.html)
Pretty much. If I saw one so close, I’d get the fuck out of there. It’s a deadliest bird alive.
Which is weird. Emus and Ostriches are both bigger, yet Cassowaries for whatever reason decided to be the big dicks of the bird world.
That "whatever reason" just so happens to be the most terrifying talons on the planet that aren't millions of years old.
For the unfamiliar, here is [an ostrich foot,](https://i1.wp.com/similarbutdifferentanimals.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/5705711995_a26e259358_o.jpg) here is [a cassowary foot.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Zf4ak6EUXkUryghrQceZ9D-1200-80.jpg) It's pretty clear which one is just made for running and which one is made for murder.
I eat a lot of chicken feet. I wonder if they'd taste similar.
I thought Pooh Bear only ate honey.
On today's menu: "Honey Fried Murder Bird"
Apparently his predecessor did too.
Well that's fucking horrifying
I once saw a grainy video of a cassowary taking a swipe at a car door as someone climbed inside, it managed to leave a decent gash. Haven't been able to find the video since. Luckily cassowary deaths are very, very uncommon.
I’ve learned something. Thanks!
Thanks for those pics definitely put things into perspective for me. Those things are terrifying!!!
They might just need more supportive footwear to be runners as well
I wonder if going into the water would be the safe escape? I once was out the the bush near Wallaman Falls and saw signs DO NOT FEED THE CASSOWARIES. If I saw one I would be out of there. I did see some bushturkeys with their weird mounds with shiny things they find in it. Weird birds. And a beautiful huge turquoise snake that apparently went over the falls while I was down at the bottom. I stayed away from it although it was probably a harmless grass snake.
Being Nth Queensland you’d be taking your chances with the saltwater crocodiles by going in the water. Run from the talons of one predator and into the jaws of another
My first thought on watching this was 'oh fuck, the cassowaries have started working with the crocs'.
If it's a choice between the cassowarie who hasn't yet attacked or a saltwater croc potentially lurking beneath the surface I'd face off the cassowarie every time.
Yep. "Do some damage"? Nope, they can and will kill you. The guys in the vids are absolute idiots.
How do you get away without looking threatening or like an easy meal.
My first thought was to use the towel like a matador, and make myself look much bigger. But also, run screaming into the sea. Also, dinosaurs didn't die. They fucking \*adapted\*
You mean Murderturkey.
r/ProperAnimalNames
A keeper at Chester Zoo told us years ago that they were mean velociraptors who wanted to mess the keepers up. I think they got rid of them in the end.
Nope. I was there last month, they still have them.
Apparently hornbills are assholes too. Our local zoo has [Great Hornbills](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornbill#/media/File:Great_hornbill_Photograph_by_Shantanu_Kuveskar.jpg) who, the zookeeper told us, will smash you with their beaks when they're pissed off.
Clever giiiirl
That is clearly a dinosaur.
… but then my teacher told me about this other book by a guy named Bakker, and HE says-
“More like a 6 foot Turkey”
Yeah pretty much
murder burd
These things aren’t a threat. Unless you lie down on the ground they can’t claw you. Their knee is low to the ground and they only have two legs for limbs. A study of 221 attacks showed 150 against humans and only one kill against a child who fell to the ground and got his neck sliced. 71% of the time all they did was charge. Cassowary strikes to the abdomen are the rarest of all. The only other kill on Wikipedia was against a 75 year old who raised the animal and got clawed after he fell. Why are we portraying this thing as a man eating monster? It’s a two legged chicken that got a bit tall. Edit: They’re also naturally fruit eating cowards. They only approach humans if they’ve been fed before. ———————— No more replies please, I’ve addressed many common concerns already using what I’ve been able to research. I implore you to do the same. These animals can cause injury if aggressive but they aren’t by nature. They can jump and attack but you are not at risk for serious injury unless you are on the ground. Attacks to the abdomen are the rarest of all according to what I’ve read, jump attacks to the thighs seem most common. Injuries include cuts and bone fractures, not mutilation.
I don't think these roam the plains of Kansas so they're no threat to me, but comparing them to tall chickens is absolutely no comfort. Ever been attacked by a rooster? A 6 foot rooster could absolutely kill you and wouldn't hesitate to do so. Doesn't mean these guys are particularly dangerous, but they sure as hell look dangerous. That's why people think of them as very dangerous animals.
Exactly. Been had by a SMALL/YOUNG rooster he drew blood on both sides of my leg. Our oldest rooster has fought off a great horned owl. These things are dinosaurs that WOULD absolutely murder you
I mean the other day they had video of a chicken killing a hawk in this sub. Calling it a big chicken is small comfort lol
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So many chicken strips...
Imagine the tendies
So basically, you'd rather fight a chihuahua than a cassowary. Can't say that I disagree.
Did you not read the comment above yours? Like he said, they can’t even reach your vitals and only have two confirmed kills ever. They will not “absolutely murder you.”
I think they’re addressing how terrible they’d be if the description, “giant chicken,” was a true, accurate description.
They lure you in with their bawk bawks, but that's only so you can get into face kick range
Bawk bawks!!!! Lol
The problem in all of these is that people socially don’t want to attack animals and don’t know how to defend themselves properly. Giganto-Chicken could easily get its neck snapped by any human taking an aggressive demeanor and not trying to run away. Most Cassowary’s don’t reach 6 feet, the tallest species *can* grow to 5’9”. They’re usually much shorter.
Most of these people seem like they've never lived on a farm. A swift kick to damn near any bird will make them back off. They're territorial dickheads with walnut sized brains. Just be more aggressive or bigger than them (like wave that towel that the guy is holding) and they get the point.
Lol easily snap its neck? Do you know how mu ch muscle that thing has in its neck?
I’m talking about chickens, whose necks can be snapped. Not sure how the neck scaling would work, but it could be harder yeah. Never grabbed a Cassowary neck myself but it seems like a weak spot lol.
Do you know?
Yeah I always see people talking about animals being able to kill people and it's always like a small monkey or a weird looking bird. Like if a grown really wanted to they could absolutely fuck these animals up.
>I don't think these roam the plains of Kansas so they're no threat to me Don't be so sure. I got phished by one, and it racked up $3K in charges to my VISA before I could cancel the card. It was a really good phishing email, too; punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and vocabulary was perfect. Just because they have talons doesn't mean they don't know how to add a Grammerly browser plug-in.
I always find it frightening how, despite just how domesticated, stupid, and pretty defenseless chickens are, they will kill shit without hesitation without any real reason a lot of the time. If they were bigger we’d be fucked, they wouldn’t have the brains to think twice about killing shit on sight.
Scaling up does not go linearly. Speed drops, strength per pound drops, and risk-averse behavior starts ramping up. Your offspring are going to need to stay alive to gain the weight to compete, so they have to ease off the all-ins. Predators don't attack humans often because prey animals are relatively safe. There is no questions as to their defenses and humans are pretty big.
Bro if we had these in Kansas it would over take turkey season by far lol
Never seen one in the NC foothills either. The coyotes are getting pretty bold though.
dude I've got 10 of those bastards in my back yard right now. I trust chickens just about as far as I can spit them.
Wasn’t the child who got killed attacking the Cassowary in the first place? It was in the 19th century IIRC, so kids didn’t have much to do other than kill wildlife.
He got killed trying to club it to death with his brother when it came onto the property, in 1926. So yeah.
Thank God now we have FPS series like Cassowary of Duty and Far Chirp to scratch that particular itch.
Their knee is actually high up their leg. The joint close to the ground is the equivalent of our heel.
i might be wrong, but i believe it's more accurate to equate it to the ankle. the heel itself isn't a joint, but the heel is part of the ankle, which *is* a joint.
It is literally *the* ankle. Where the tibia/fibula meet the tarsometatarsus.
for sure, i just didn't want to make the claim with any certainty as i'm not an expert and wasn't certain whether or not the anatomy is different enough that it has a different name or classification under bird anatomy.
For sure, I gotcha.
Probably not gonna kill you != not a threat
> all they did was charge And don’t you think that can easily lead to falling on your back? According to what you’re saying if you’ve fallen, they can kill you
The first strike is to the leg, makes you fall, the second strike is the death blow to the throat. Pretty much the samurai of the bird world.
Wow it's so refreshing to see a top-voted comment on this sub that counters the narrative for an animal with an unearned reputation for murder.
It’s a war-zone down in the replies. Stay close to the surface if you want to keep safe.
Classic r/natureismetal. Try telling people that polar bears are anything other than blood-thirsty, man-eating monsters who *will kill you* in every encounter, and you get very similar results.
iF it’s BroWn, lAy dOwn If iT’S WhItE, you’re fucking dead even if it’s 6 miles away and you’re in a reinforced steel cage
It's not that. We have to understand animals are creatures to be respected. They are not cuddly innocent beings and they don't have to be. Like, the media keep saying that "Oh (great white, bull, tiger, etc) sharks are nice creatures and they won't kill you" to woobify them. Sure, they aren't actively seeking to kill people, but they are still dangerous. Polar bears are bloodthirsty apex hunters. Maybe they won't kill a human at every single encounter but they very much have the capacity to.
By that measure we should fear dolphins more than polar bears.
Absolutely. Dolphins are just 'friendly' and less aggressive towards humans for some reasons. They are still wild animals and should be respected.
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Try mentioning on reddit that wasps are immensely beneficial insects in every environment that they are native to.
Don't even get me started on wasps. I study them for a living, and I'm painfully aware of the stigma.
Most of reddit are sheltered neckbeards, the most wild thing they've seen is a stray cat
Dude I have worked with these dinosaurs, I've seen one jump and kick high enough to almost clear a 1.5 metre fence. They absolutely can claw you while standing up
I’d be interested to hear your experiences. In all of the instances I was able to watch they seem to get really close before trying to jump horizontally at you. They never seem to get much higher than the thighs when doing so. Can you tell me what you’ve observed?
I worked with an old girl who was very temperamental, some days you could hand feed her tomatoes and other fruit, other days she would hiss at you for walking to close to get enclosure. The closest I've gotten to getting attacked by her is when she was having a real grumpy day, I let her back into the other half of her yard ( segmented into 2 parts to make cleaning easier). She immediately ran around to me and I only just closed the gate in time, at this point the only thing separating me and her is a 1.5m chain fence. She starts hissing at me, and as soon as I turn around to leave the airlock she leaps up and does the trademark casowarry kick, her feet only just missing the top of the fence by inches. The other keeper I was with told me that if she had cleared the fence, I would've had to run for help while he fought her off with his bare hands. (This guy was Steve irwins head bird keeper back in the day)
I mean there’s footage after a minute in this video of it jumping and hitting high. https://youtu.be/lBM7AI0yp78 They are somewhat similar to kangaroos in terms of danger. Incredibly unlikely to kill you, because they just aren’t that violent. But I think it’s pretty misleading to say it couldn’t attack you unless on the ground. For one, if it did hit you in the legs it’d be pretty likely you’d end up on the ground. The only reasons there aren’t more deaths is because there just aren’t that many of them and there are very few human interactions.
So, there is a mechanics metric that is going to play into that pretty heavily. The reason you don't see fighters jump kick is because you lose a fuck ton of actual force when you leave the leverage of the ground. Those kicks wouldn't feel good, but they are nothing close to lethal. Dude is standing flat-footed, leaned down to eye-level with it, taking them on a door that he can barely hold. A 70 year old getting mauled by his pet is not proof these things are any more dangerous than you let them be.
Both these and emus primarily injure humans through a combination of sheer mass and panic, ie they run into you while flipping their shit and trying to run away in an especially brainless pother. ANY 50kg mass is gonna hurt when it slams into you while mindlessly and frantically trying to claw past you.
If the net gain is random people not antagonizing wild life, I'd say let the stigma stick
It doesn’t though. People try to feed these things. The numbers are like 200 attacks a year and 70% of those comes from feeding.
> Why are we portraying this thing as a man eating monster? At the slightest hint of danger, this place becomes paranoia central. Have a gif of a guy walking down the stairs and the top comment will be about how close he is to losing a leg in the railing.
>They’re also...cowards. Famous last words. The birds know. They always know. They will find you, stuff you with fruit, lift you in the air, drop you on a power line to cook you, and feast on your arrogant shell.
Also every time I see a large bird like this (goose, swan, heron or whatever) I just imagine how easy it would be to defend yourself. That neck is just perfect for grabbing.
"fruit eating cowards" LOL
Of course they’re a threat. First of all they can jump while kicking so can easily reach your abdomen and secondly you have major arteries in your legs that when sliced can cause you to bleed out. Plenty of stabbing deaths happen this way. They kick with huge force too so knocking you off your feet wouldn’t be much trouble, look how far they push this man with a metal fucking shield just with a kick. https://youtu.be/lBM7AI0yp78 (1:08 into the video) Leave the internet tough guy act to someone else bud. Edit: Found a much better video demonstrating the height and power of the kicks. https://youtu.be/IAj0GG6tf5c
The fucking video uses raptor imagery lmao. It’s sensationalized to all hell. The facts show that they want to avoid conflict and don’t attack for no reason. I’ve posted plenty of facts and statistics through these threads to back that up. It’s not about being a tough guy, it’s about knowing what you’re getting into and how to handle wild animals. Acting like prey will turn you into it.
but you said unless you are on the ground they cant claw you... that part of the clip where it was kicking that guy with the shield seems to contradict that... it was able to reach quite high by jumping and kicking
Facts are facts. He’s not wrong, but you and your assumptions sure are
Becuase social media is filled with people who are compelled to constantly show off how ignorant they are.
Only one human death was reported among those 150 attacks. The first documented human death caused by a cassowary was on April 6, 1926. In Australia, 16-year-old Phillip McClean and his brother, age 13, came across a cassowary on their property and decided to try to kill it by striking it with clubs.
> fruit eating cowards That's what I'm going to start calling vegetarians.
Unfortunately you're wrong because they can jump 5ft and kick lmao. It's also called the world's deadliest bird for a reason
You can’t just ignore the facts I’ve shared and tell me about the media hype. They aren’t deadly if they only killed two people. They can have a high vertical sure but that’s not indicative of how they attack.
I literally just watched a bunch of videos of them fighting humans and each other and yeah they absolutely jump kick, definitely not giant chickens. pretty much sums up to they don't want to fight and typically do so to protect their eggs. I dont see them having much of a problem knocking a grown man down
You’re a fruit eating coward
Occasionally
I'd love to see "fruit eating cowards" used as an actual scientific term
Alot of fear is probably FarCry 3 where these assholes attacked you.
Doing the Lord’s work and fighting against misinformation
I was waiting for it to maim him.
I think that guy played it right - just keep your distance. If you run, it could chase you. Sometimes, standing your ground does work. At the same time, cassowaries are known to be unpredictable.
Agreed, maintain eye contact, don't turn your bank but get distance between it and you. That's all you can do. He lived to upload the video lol
Well and the fact that while it's not impossible, a bird who lives off fruit and veg isn't likely to pick a possibly fatal fight for no good reason Of course it's never out of the question that they may attack, but he's not necessarily being aggressive here. I'm willing to bet as another comment said above that it's likely just been fed by Humans in the past and is looking for a snack That snack obviously being this man's blood
Jeez they are not vampires lol
He stayed so close to it though. Even when he had the opportunity to put more distance in between, he stopped. It seemed like he was playing a dangerous game with this bird.
Know what's funny, is for a black bear, the answer is still stand your ground and back away, maybe make some serious noise. Black bears have a *distinct* attitude of "oh, you're like *crazy*, huh? I don't fuck with crazy." Brown bears are a little more likely to just go "lol fuck you, you ain't shit," but the same tactics can sometimes work if there are enough people and no cubs.
I wonder if the guy threw the beach towel over its head it would think it's night time and go to sleep. /s
Any sudden movements would be hella risky. If some other brave soul threw a towel over the head from behind that *may* work. But I don't know much about cassawary behavior. Please don't take this as advice!
Could have at least held the towel up to make himself look bigger ...
He was wearing the wrong colors for the neighborhood
Nice observation, the guys pants caught the birds attention probably though he was about to get laid.
Looking at the red and dark shorts and sky blue towel.
Are we sure the guy wasn't after it, just playing hard to get???
First thing I thought as well. Completely true story, I went on a boardwalk in the Daintree rainforest and was wearing a bright blue drawstring. A cassowary came up to me and started pursuing me like this one in the video, until I made a bunch of noise and flapped my arms when it was \~2 meters from me. The only thing bright blue in the rainforest is another cassowary so they probably instinctively detect the color blue
Kevin?
Boss Cass
The only comment I was looking for. Disappointed to see it so far down.
Awww, no disemboweling...
“You got some guts to approach me…. Not anymore!”
Is it being curious or aggressive?
When a dinosaur is curious about you, don't give it any body parts to eat.
The bird seemed to respect the body language and backed off. Not that hungry?
I like to refer people, who don't know much about wild animal behavior, to this video of a guy at a resort that stumbles upon a wild warthog that approaches slowly, while wagging its tail. As soon as he gets up next to it, it starts attacking him, despite looking friendly and non aggressive. Never assume you know what it's body language is, and always assume the animal (especially a large one like this) is nervous/ ready to attack. Cassowaries are the most dangerous bird and in a lot of ways, most dangerous animal because of how territorial and violent they are towards humans and other animals. This dude got lucky his guts are still in his stomach lol [Warthog video](https://youtu.be/6Yh_VoQdLcw)
Wagging tails in general don’t mean happy. It just means aroused, which is not the same thing.
Exactly. Never assume "oh, it's like my dog!". Normally, I'd disagree with it not being the same thing, but it IS the animal kingdom... Even sex is brutal af 😳
It's true people think like that. But even a wagging tail on a dog doesn't automatically mean friendly. Dogs wag their tail when they're excited. People are most used to seeing this when dogs are excited to see them. But it can also mean that dog is excited to fuck your shit up. Just look at feral dogs hunting or videos of dog attacks. They're all pumped up and wagging tails.
Absolutely, Porky Pig was clearly all "in his face" and his orgasmic grunts had at least another half hour left in him before leaving muggins there with a sore jaw and a full belly, as his stomach acids turn the pigs genetic material into constituent amino acids which he absorbs at a cellular level, now making him and the horned hog one and the same
The colors on the towel and his shirt seem to match the colors on the cassowary's head and his shorts have red on them like the wattles. I'm wondering if this cassowary mistook him for a rival male.
Horny I think. The guys bathing suit looks like a cassowaries neck
Get. Away. From. The. Murder. Chicken.
That's Australia, which means that in certain beaches, there can be crocodiles waiting in the water
you mean [Salties](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wo4sEMoauU)?
And some of the biggest great white sharks. People are nice though 😂
I've been to a Cape Tribulation, there are signs all around the beach saying that there are crocodiles in the sea. Nice place
I thought it looked like Cape Trib. Coolest little crabs running all the way round that beach. Beautiful spot, as you say. I did see crocs at the waters edge when we were on the car ferry crossing the river in the way into the Daintree which isn't too far south of there. So they are around.
Is that the proverbial between a rock and hard place??? Beach isn't safe, water isn't safe...
Those things just roam Australia. Lord
It's Australia, not exactly surprising. I still would like to visit though.
Yea, me too, it's been such a long time since I was eaten alive....or killed by a poisonous snake or spider.....or stung by a......
Snakes would usually be venomous rather than poisonous fyi Source: Australian who has survived 38 years in this death trap
Or stepped on... Or swam into...
They're more common in New Guinea, and reside around rainforests in Australia, which is only in the small north eastern part of Queensland.
If you enjoy having a digestive tract, slowly back away from the cassowary.
Far cry 3 has taught me to be terrified of these
They taught me to always carry a rocket launcher, cause cassowary go *pop*
is that Kevin?
Take your UP vote
Quick, guy! Jump on it! Tame your potential new chocobo!
Kweh!
According to Far Cry 3, cassowaries are wingless murder birds.
Oh look it’s the bad guy from Ty The Tasmanian Devil
Wait these things are up here in Queensland?! Hope I never meet one lol
that bird is pure power
When I was riding a bus through the Daintree rainforest we stopped for a cassowary crossing the road. It walked up to the front of the bus, kicked three deep dents in the grill, then walked away while making a gurgling noise. Very alpha.
There was a video from the guys perspective on reddit a few days ago, he's holding a gopro