The Australian Southern Cassowary
Common Name: The Australian Southern Cassowary
Scientific Name: Casuarius Casuarius Johnsonii
Conservation Status: Endangered
The Australian Southern Cassowary is native to north eastern Australian tropical Rainforests. It is a large flightless bird, with a tall brown casque on the top of their head, a bright blue and purple neck, red wattles and glossy black feathers. The southern Cassowary can grow up to 2 meters tall, with males weighing up to 55kg and females 76kg. The large casque on the top of the cassowaries head is used to crash its way through the thick forest.
Scientific Name: Casuarius Casuarius Johnsonii
Conservation Status: Endangered
The Australian Southern Cassowary is native to north eastern Australian tropical Rainforests. It is a large flightless bird, with a tall brown casque on the top of their head, a bright blue and purple neck, red wattles and glossy black feathers. The southern Cassowary can grow up to 2 meters tall, with males weighing up to 55kg and females 76kg. The large casque on the top of the cassowaries head is used to crash its way through the thick forest.
Threats to the Cassowary
The Cassowary faces a range of threats causing to the decline of their population. Some threats include:
Habitat Destruction:
Destruction and habitat loss is the major threat to the survival of the cassowary. Habitat destruction can range from land clearing for farming, urban development and logging. Land clearing results in direct loss of habitat for the cassowary. This decreases the numbers of the Cassowary as they are successful in establishing themselves elsewhere and generally die from stress, predation or starvation.
Vehicles:
There have been many roads that have been put through the Cassowaries habitat. Many birds have numerous roads crossing through their territory, and they have to cross these roads in order to find a suitable ares to settle. As the cassowaries have no road sense like you and me, they run the risk of being run over every time one crosses the road. Between February 1986 and September 1988, 17 cassowaries have died due to being run over by motor vehicles.
Disease:
Although disease is only a small problem compared to other threats it is still valid. there is a growing concern that cassowaries are contracting diseases through contaminated food and domestic animals. When cassowaries go through rubbish bins the contaminated food can cause them to get Tuberculosis or fungal diseases, which spread quickly through the cassowary population.
Habitat Destruction:
Destruction and habitat loss is the major threat to the survival of the cassowary. Habitat destruction can range from land clearing for farming, urban development and logging. Land clearing results in direct loss of habitat for the cassowary. This decreases the numbers of the Cassowary as they are successful in establishing themselves elsewhere and generally die from stress, predation or starvation.
Vehicles:
There have been many roads that have been put through the Cassowaries habitat. Many birds have numerous roads crossing through their territory, and they have to cross these roads in order to find a suitable ares to settle. As the cassowaries have no road sense like you and me, they run the risk of being run over every time one crosses the road. Between February 1986 and September 1988, 17 cassowaries have died due to being run over by motor vehicles.
Disease:
Although disease is only a small problem compared to other threats it is still valid. there is a growing concern that cassowaries are contracting diseases through contaminated food and domestic animals. When cassowaries go through rubbish bins the contaminated food can cause them to get Tuberculosis or fungal diseases, which spread quickly through the cassowary population.
Habitat
Map showing the distribution of the Southern Cassowary in Australia.
The Southern Cassowary's prime habitat in Australia is the Daintree Rainforest, which is situated 110km north of Carins, far north Queensland. And is the oldest continuously surviving Rainforest in the world, dating back about 100-135 million years old. The Daintree is home to 122 rare and threatened species. Sadly, due to Queensland's rising emigration rate because of the lower cost of living from other states along with tourism, the high demand for public infrastructure and housing has risen in North Queensland. This has caused the creation of roads and fences as well as the subdivision of land in the Daintree. This impacts the fauna in the Daintree Rainforest, as the creation of roads and fences throughout the Daintree will cause animals to cross them in order to find food.
Environmental Threats to the Daintree
Environmental Threats to the Daintree Include:
Logging:
The logging industry put the Daintree Rainforest of the map decades ago, and sadly it is still happening today. Since the mid to late 20th Century, logging has been the prime cause contributing to the vulnerability of the Daintree. Just after World War II Australia's economy began to rapidly expand, this caused a high demand for timber. In result of this, many timber mills were built to log trees and some firms also built transport infrastructure to make the process more rapid and efficient. These Timber mills and infrastructures release pollution into the air and because the number of trees are being reduced the air cannot be filtered by these trees and the extinction of many plants and animals will occur.
Mining:
Mining is a future threat to the Daintree Rainforest, as Tin mining leases are held over parts of the Area. And if these go ahead it will result in the destruction of many unique plants and animals habitats, causing the extinction of these plants and animals.
Tourism:
The Daintree has more than 400,000 people visit each year. With all these people come thousands of buses, 4WD's and cars that drive through the Draintree causing an increase of air pollution in the Daintree. Also, some tourist can litter and by doing so some animals many decide to eat the wrappers and bottles that the tourist leave or they may get stuck in them, which my lead to death and killing off unique species to the Daintree Rainforest.
Development:
Sadly, due to Queensland's rising emigration rate because of the lower cost of living from other states along with tourism, the demand for public and housing infrastructure has risen in North Queensland. This has caused the creation of sewage and drainage infrastructure roads and fences as well as the subdivision of land in the Daintree. This impacts the fauna in the Daintree Rainforest, as the creation of roads and fences throughout the Daintree will cause animals to cross them in order to find food. The development of new infrastructure will also increase pollution.
Logging:
The logging industry put the Daintree Rainforest of the map decades ago, and sadly it is still happening today. Since the mid to late 20th Century, logging has been the prime cause contributing to the vulnerability of the Daintree. Just after World War II Australia's economy began to rapidly expand, this caused a high demand for timber. In result of this, many timber mills were built to log trees and some firms also built transport infrastructure to make the process more rapid and efficient. These Timber mills and infrastructures release pollution into the air and because the number of trees are being reduced the air cannot be filtered by these trees and the extinction of many plants and animals will occur.
Mining:
Mining is a future threat to the Daintree Rainforest, as Tin mining leases are held over parts of the Area. And if these go ahead it will result in the destruction of many unique plants and animals habitats, causing the extinction of these plants and animals.
Tourism:
The Daintree has more than 400,000 people visit each year. With all these people come thousands of buses, 4WD's and cars that drive through the Draintree causing an increase of air pollution in the Daintree. Also, some tourist can litter and by doing so some animals many decide to eat the wrappers and bottles that the tourist leave or they may get stuck in them, which my lead to death and killing off unique species to the Daintree Rainforest.
Development:
Sadly, due to Queensland's rising emigration rate because of the lower cost of living from other states along with tourism, the demand for public and housing infrastructure has risen in North Queensland. This has caused the creation of sewage and drainage infrastructure roads and fences as well as the subdivision of land in the Daintree. This impacts the fauna in the Daintree Rainforest, as the creation of roads and fences throughout the Daintree will cause animals to cross them in order to find food. The development of new infrastructure will also increase pollution.
How can we help preserve the cassowary?
We need to help save the cassowary now. One way we can help are donating money to various foundations. These foundations help the cassowary by: Buying cassowary habitat in order to stop development and logging, establishing pest free sanctuaries for research and possible breeding and replanting fruit trees.
If you ever see a cassowary or live in cassowary habitat please follow this advice:
If you ever see a cassowary or live in cassowary habitat please follow this advice:
- NEVER feed a cassowary
- Plant native cassowary food plants
- Discard your food scraps carefully
- Be careful when driving
- Don’t let pets out or off the leash
- Be careful when driving
- Never approach a cassowary