An orphaned juvenile cassowary has become an early Christmas gift for the David Fleay Wildlife Park on the Gold Coast, where it has found a new home and an important new role as a threatened species ambassador.
The cassowary's journey began on 25 June 2024, when Girringun Indigenous Rangers found the orphaned chick on the side of the Bruce Highway between Tully and Cardwell in North Queensland.
Senior Wildlife Officer Alex Diczbalis, said the Girringun Rangers looked after the cassowary until wildlife officers from the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation arrived to collect it.
Wildlife officers and Girringun Rangers then searched the surrounding area for the chick's father but were unable to locate him.
"When rescued the chick was lethargic and very unsteady on its feet and would not have survived in the wild," Mr Diczbalis said.
"The Girringun Rangers named the cassowary Bunji, which means friend or mate, and after he was assessed by Tropical Vets, we took him to our Garners Beach Cassowary Rehabilitation Centre for intensive care.
"Wildlife officers had to feed the cassowary through a tube for a week, but after two weeks he was able to walk around his enclosure and to eat quandong seeds that had fallen from the trees above.
"We would like to thank C4 (Community Coastal and Cassowary Conservation) volunteers who fed and cared for the chick at Garners Beach until his transfer to David Fleay Wildlife Park could be arranged.
"On 12 December 2024, he was transported from Cairns to the Gold Coast and released into his new enclosure with an adult female cassowary in an adjacent enclosure."
At the acclaimed David Fleay Wildlife Park at West Burleigh, the cassowary will help educate the public about the important ecological role played by cassowaries and the conservation challenges the species face.
David Fleay Wildlife Park Ranger in Charge Kylie Zaia said the cassowary was an amazing Christmas gift and staff were looking forward to watching him become an adult.
"The cassowary is a threatened species ambassador, and he will help educate visitors about the importance of preserving this magnificent species, and the vital Wet Tropics environment," Ms Zaia said.
"He is already a tourist fascination, and as he struts around his enclosure, he is highlighting the essential threatened species work conducted by the department across Queensland.
"We are encouraging people to visit the cassowary and learn about the work our rangers and wildlife officers do across the state to protect our threatened species and broaden public awareness and engagement in conservation."
People can help preserve wild populations of cassowaries by being Cass-O-Wary:
- never approach cassowaries
- never approach chicks – male cassowaries will defend them
- never feed cassowaries – it is illegal, dangerous and has caused southern cassowary deaths
- always discard food scraps in closed bins and ensure compost bins have secure lids
- always slow down when driving in southern cassowary territory
- never stop your vehicle to look at southern cassowaries on the road
- keep dogs behind fences or on a leash.
Cassowary sightings in north Queensland should be reported to QPWS by calling 1300 130 372.
