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Ligyron

(7,615 posts)
Sun Apr 14, 2019, 01:50 PM Apr 2019

Cassowary attack: giant bird kills owner in Florida after he fell.

from The Guardian:

“It looks like it was accidental. My understanding is that the gentleman was in the vicinity of the bird and at some point fell. When he fell, he was attacked,” the deputy chief, Jeff Taylor, told the newspaper.

Cassowaries are similar to emus. They can be up to 2 meters (6ft) tall and weigh up to 60kg (130lb), with black body feathers and bright blue heads and necks.

The San Diego zoo’s website calls cassowaries the world’s most dangerous bird with a 10cm dagger-like claw on each foot.

“The cassowary can slice open any predator or potential threat with a single swift kick. Powerful legs help the cassowary run up to 31 miles per hour (50km/h) through the dense forest underbrush,” the website says.

The Gainesville Sun says the man was breeding them, but for what purpose we can only imagine.


Yes, my Homeboy Florida Man strikes again...

13 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Cassowary attack: giant bird kills owner in Florida after he fell. (Original Post) Ligyron Apr 2019 OP
. dalton99a Apr 2019 #1
Modern day dinosaur. Cracklin Charlie Apr 2019 #5
Thank you! Ligyron Apr 2019 #7
wow Demovictory9 Apr 2019 #9
It's your basic Blue Australian Murder Turkey. backscatter712 Apr 2019 #10
It does sound nasty. Blue_true Apr 2019 #11
Not the kind of bird you want for a pet. Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Apr 2019 #2
To make a suit for Manafort? malaise Apr 2019 #3
lol. nt chowder66 Apr 2019 #6
It's like living in Jurassic Park FakeNoose Apr 2019 #4
Saw one crossing the road with his chick last month in Australia dhol82 Apr 2019 #8
I read that they can jump like seven feet into the air and Blue_true Apr 2019 #12
Yikes! dhol82 Apr 2019 #13

Ligyron

(7,615 posts)
7. Thank you!
Sun Apr 14, 2019, 02:17 PM
Apr 2019

I wanted to post a picture or the video linked on The Guardian site but I'm not real Web savvy.

Wow, I've seen Cassowary before but not one with spikes that huge. THAT puts raptors to shame.

All we need now in Florida is for those things to escape into the wild like the pythons. Wait, maybe they'll kill and eat the pythons!

or the Nile monitors and the giant tegu lizards and ...

Blue_true

(31,261 posts)
11. It does sound nasty.
Sun Apr 14, 2019, 06:59 PM
Apr 2019

Why do idiots bring stuff like that into a place where it can survive in the wild if it escapes? People have enormously poisonous vipers that they are keeping in their homes. Like pythons or boas, if those things escape in the wild, they can cause havoc if the escapee is a pregnant female and it does not get caught before delivering young.

dhol82

(9,351 posts)
8. Saw one crossing the road with his chick last month in Australia
Sun Apr 14, 2019, 02:31 PM
Apr 2019

Beautiful bird. Large.
The males take care of the chicks.

Blue_true

(31,261 posts)
12. I read that they can jump like seven feet into the air and
Sun Apr 14, 2019, 07:02 PM
Apr 2019

run at 30 plus miles per hour and swim like an expert. Just the thing we need loose in the wild here in Florida.

dhol82

(9,351 posts)
13. Yikes!
Sun Apr 14, 2019, 07:03 PM
Apr 2019

The one I saw was just ambling across the road.
Made quite the traffic jam on a country road.

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