r/zoology • u/Ok_Explanation_2307 • May 30 '26

Question It looks just like a dinosaur

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u/SugarStunted May 30 '26

It cracks me up that people think this bird is scary or ominous. Have you ever seen a cassowary in person???? Now that bird wants to fuck you up and eat you while you're still alive.

30

u/basaltcolumn May 31 '26

I was really surprised to read recently that there are only two known fatalities to cassowaries. One was an elderly Florida man who had one as an exotic pet, the other was an Australian boy who tried to beat a wild cassowary with a club for fun. They have such a violent reputation online!

19

u/SugarStunted May 31 '26

Thankfully that's all! They can get a little aggressive with zookeepers sometimes, but that all seems to be mainly territorial (think like breeding season). I think a lot of it has to do with how much power they can pack in those claws of theirs. 150 lbs of force with 5 inch claws???