The Department of Environment and Science (DES) has issued a warning not to feed cassowaries after bushwalkers suffered a close encounter with one of the large birds on the Atherton Tablelands.
Senior Wildlife Officer at DES, Dinouk Perera said a video of the incident showed the cassowary following four bushwalkers for seven minutes along a walking track, near Windin Falls in the Wooroonooran National Park.
“The video shows the bird often approaching within a metre of the group of bushwalkers as they retreated along the track,” Mr Perera said.
“Wildlife officers have confirmed the cassowary’s behaviour indicates it has become habituated to being fed by people.”
He said a cassowary that wasn’t habituated would never approach bushwalkers, and would have retreated into the forest to avoid such an encounter.
“This was an unnerving incident for the bushwalkers and they did the right thing by remaining calm and moving away until the cassowary realised it wasn’t going to be fed,” Mr Perera said.
“Cassowaries are unpredictable, potentially dangerous animals and habituated birds have been known to act aggressively and lash out if they don’t receive a feed when confronting people in the forest.”
He said feeding cassowaries could significantly change their behaviour in such a way that other people would be placed at risk of being approached and potentially attacked by the birds.
Mr Perera said wildlife officers had conducted a letterbox drop of residents near the Windin Falls car park, urging them not to feed cassowaries and warning of the dangers of doing so.
“The maximum penalty for deliberately feeding a cassowary is $5,222, and we’re asking people to report deliberate cassowary feeding,” he said.
