1 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio, 2 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: Hey brain Stuff Lauren Vogelbaum here. The cassowary is a massive, 3 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 1: flightless bird that's been called the most dangerous bird in 4 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:19,079 Speaker 1: the world, the reason being that it could seriously injure 5 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: or kill a human or pet in an instant with 6 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: its deadly claws. And they're very quick. They are powerful 7 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: legs let them run at about thirty miles an hour 8 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:33,559 Speaker 1: more fifty kilometers an hour through dense forest underbrush. In Florida. 9 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: Cassowaries are listed as Class two animals, along with alligators 10 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: and wildcats due to the risk they pose, which means 11 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: anyone who wishes to own one must pass numerous tests 12 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 1: and get a special permit from local authorities. Alike their 13 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:52,840 Speaker 1: emu cousins, cassowaries are rattites, or birds that have flat 14 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: breastbones and are unable to fly, and they boast bristly feathers, 15 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: a vivid blue face, two red bottles hanging from their neck, 16 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 1: and a prominent helmet or cast atop their head. Three 17 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:09,320 Speaker 1: different species of cassuaries are native to tropical forests of 18 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: Australia and Southeast Asia, although size varies across those three species, 19 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: the Southern, Northern, and dwarf. They can stand up to 20 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: six and a half feet tall that's two meters, and 21 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: weigh as much as a hundred and thirty pounds or 22 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: sixty kilos. If you happen to be familiar with swans, 23 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:31,559 Speaker 1: this is the equivalent of about six swans, presumably stacked 24 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 1: in a cassowary shaped trench coat. They cannot fly, but 25 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 1: they do have those muscular legs, and that brings us 26 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: to the hazardous point of these birds their inner claw. 27 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: For the article this episode is based on, has to 28 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: Fork spoke with Rick Schwartz, a global ambassador for California's 29 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: San Diego Zoo, which currently houses several Southern cassuaries in 30 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: its Safari park. He explained the claw on the inner 31 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: of each foot is what is so impressive between the 32 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 1: three species. That claw is very sharp and can range 33 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: from three to five inches or seven to twelve centimeters long, 34 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:12,839 Speaker 1: and the cassowary will use these sharp claws and their 35 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 1: powerful kick to defend themselves. It's often stated that they 36 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: can eviscerate a human in a single kit, though there 37 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 1: is no record of this happening. They also have a 38 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 1: lot of weight to throw around. A Swart said. Cassowaries 39 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 1: are the heaviest bird in Australia and the southern cassuary 40 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: is the second heaviest in the world. The world's heaviest 41 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: bird is the ostrich. With that in mind, they also 42 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 1: have very small wings. When stretched out, their wings extend 43 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 1: less than a foot or point three meters from their body. 44 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: A cassowary has dense, black feathers that are long and thin, 45 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: compared with the wide and shapely feathers of a flighted bird. 46 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,679 Speaker 1: A Schwartz said, from a distance, some people even say 47 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: the feathers of the cassowary look more like hair. The 48 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,799 Speaker 1: cassowaries feathers are not suitable for flight, but they work 49 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: very well for a ground dwelling bird living in a 50 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:08,640 Speaker 1: forest ecosystem. The longer, thinner feathers helped direct water away 51 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: from the body and also protect the bird's body from 52 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: low branches, but sharp twigs and thorns. Meanwhile, they are 53 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: prominent facial features. That cask and those wattles are something 54 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 1: of a mystery. Evolutionarily speaking, the cask or that helmet 55 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:28,919 Speaker 1: is made of keratin, the same protein that birds feathers, nails, 56 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: and beaks are made of and our hair and nails 57 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: too for that matter. Schwartz explained. The outer covering is 58 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 1: thick and hard, but the inside is very porous. The 59 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: purpose of the cask is not completely understood, but several 60 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: theories exist, including that it can help amplify vocalizations, serve 61 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 1: as head protection as the bird pushes headfirst through dense forest, 62 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 1: or it may be another way for the birds to 63 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: display age and vitality. As for those bright red wattles, 64 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: Schwartz explained, of the three species of castaways, only the 65 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: northern and southern cassuaries have wattles. It's thought that they 66 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 1: can help communicate the bird's current demeanor, indicate an individual 67 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: bird's vitality to other cassawaries, or give other cues and 68 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:18,360 Speaker 1: communications only known by cassuaries at this time. For as 69 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 1: fearsome as they may seem, cassuaries are frugivores, meaning they 70 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: feed on fruits, which makes them very important to their 71 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 1: surrounding ecosystem. Schwartz explained. As they eat fruit, they walk 72 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,039 Speaker 1: around and pass the seeds through their digestive tract. Thus 73 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:37,720 Speaker 1: they're droppings deposit seeds that are surrounded in natural fertilizer, 74 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 1: helping to spread the diversity of plants in their region. 75 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: They're considered a keystone species due to their large size. 76 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 1: They're able to spread larger seeds than most other birds, 77 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: and those claws help them dig deep in the leaf 78 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:57,279 Speaker 1: litter for fallen fruit that other species might miss. But 79 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: don't worry too much about those claws. You'll probably never 80 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:05,039 Speaker 1: encounter a cassuwary in the wild, Schwartz said. What they're 81 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: excellent hearing. They will hear you coming long before you 82 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: even know they're there, and they will most likely disappear 83 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: into the forest to avoid you. However, should you ever 84 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 1: come across one in the wild, it's best to give 85 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:19,599 Speaker 1: them plenty of room and not approach them or try 86 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 1: to feed them. Should you happen to be near one, 87 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:27,359 Speaker 1: though you probably won't hear it, however you might feel it, 88 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 1: and that's because cassuaries call is Schwartz said, a deep, 89 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: low frequency, booming sound. It's the lowest known call of 90 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: any bird, and it's so low that it borders on 91 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: being inaudible to the human ear. If you are nearby 92 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: when it does this call, you can feel the vibrations 93 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 1: in your chest. Female cassuaries lay large, beautiful eggs that 94 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 1: typically arranging color from pastel mint to lime green to 95 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: vibrant avocado. But after they do they abandon the clutch 96 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 1: and it's up to the male birds to incubate the 97 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: eggs and care for the chicks. After they hatch, a 98 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: short said, the female returns to her solitary life and 99 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 1: does not participate in incubating the eggs or caring for 100 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: the young. This may be a way to allow her 101 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 1: to have several clutches of eggs in one breeding season 102 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:19,039 Speaker 1: with different males, thus diversifying her genetics into the next generation. 103 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 1: But cassawari's population is dwindling. An organization called the International 104 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: Union for Conservation of Nature keeps the world's most comprehensive 105 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 1: inventory of the global conservation status of planted animal species, 106 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: and they list all three species of cassowary as either 107 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:43,280 Speaker 1: vulnerable or near threatened. Schwartz explained, unlike many species, their 108 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: biggest challenges are the loss of habitat due to human 109 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:50,799 Speaker 1: population growth, roads being built causing car strikes, and human 110 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: introduced species of animals rating nests. The good news is 111 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:57,720 Speaker 1: that the governments of the country's cassawaries call home are 112 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: stepping up their conservation efforts. For example, dogs will kill 113 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:07,039 Speaker 1: young cassowaries. Humans have sometimes hunted the birds for their 114 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: meat and stunning feathers. There may be less than a 115 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:14,559 Speaker 1: thousand cassowaries left in the wild, but as Schwartz said, 116 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 1: groups are working to protect and restore cassowaries habitats as 117 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: well to create safe passage for these and other rainforest 118 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 1: creatures by a strategic buy back of rainforest properties and 119 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: the regeneration of damaged rainforest. Today's episode is based on 120 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 1: the article the cassowary is the World's most dangerous bird 121 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: on housetofworks dot com, written by Wendy Bowman. Rain Stuff 122 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: is production of iHeart Radio in partnership with how stuff 123 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 1: works dot com, and it's produced by Tyler Playing Before. 124 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 1: More podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the heart Radio app, 125 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.