Natural World: Cassowaries

SYNOPSIS

Six feet tall, 13 stone, and armed with five inch claws, cassowaries are birds that deserve respect. So when a cyclone forced dozens of cassowaries out of Australian rainforests and into towns, there was bound to be trouble. This film follows the dramatic attempts to save these endangered giant birds, and reveals their fascinating natural history for the first time. Narrated by David Attenborough.
The rare primordial forest of NE Australian state Queensland's Coral Sea coast is home to the bright-colored southern cassowarie, of which only 1,500 remain. This flightless man-size bird is related to the open country ostrich and emu. Conservation is threatened by global warming intensifying cyclones and drought. Problems with the expanding human habitation, result in the cassowaries killed on the road and by dogs. They require relocation or rehabilitation at Mission Beach, where they are also studied. The males brood and raise the chicks till mating season.