ANIMALS

Surprise Visit from ‘World’s Most Dangerous Bird’ Startles Beach Visitors in Australia

In a video of the event, a big and unpredictable creature swam toward the shore, leaving onlookers puzzled about what it could be. At first sight, some thought it might be a turtle or a shark.

Image source: brisbanetimes

But as the unknown animal got closer to the shore, wildlife officials from the Queensland Department of Environment and Science identified it as a young cassowary.

Cassowaries are big, flightless birds that come from the rainforests of Queensland and Papua New Guinea.

These birds stand tall at about 6.5 feet and weigh around 167 pounds. They have a unique look, featuring a long, colorful neck, a helmet-like structure on their heads, and a dagger-shaped claw on their toes.

@brisbanetimes Australia, home of deadly swimming cassowaries. 👍 Video by Nikita McDowell via Environment Department #cassowary #cassowaries #aussieanimals #aussiewildlife #australiananimals ♬ original sound – brisbanetimes

Cassowaries are commonly known as “the world’s most dangerous bird” because of their large size, strength, sharp claws, and unpredictable behavior. Information from the Library of Congress suggests that predicting the bird’s actions can be difficult.

Stephen Clough, a wildlife officer from the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, explained that “cassowaries can swim and will take to the water to cross from one side of a river to the other, or if they feel threatened by domestic dogs or another cassowary through a territorial dispute.”

Image source: brisbanetimes

The exact reason for this cassowary’s swim in the ocean is still unknown. However, the footage capturing this unusual behavior has definitely surprised onlookers. Nikita McDowell, the campground’s host, filmed the cassowary’s “unexpected ocean swim,” according to officials.

In the video posted on social media, you can see the big bird smoothly floating on the waves. From a distance, only its head and neck are visible, making it look like a periscope.

Image source: brisbanetimes

As the cassowary got closer to the shore, its complete brown-black body came into view, displaying its unique features. It has a head with a mohawk-like helmet structure, and hints of pink and blue coloring can be seen on its neck.

McDowell shared this scene, highlighting how the cassowary simply glided to the shore until its feet could touch the ground. Moreover, the cassowary seemed to glance at the camera multiple times, as shown in the video footage.

Image source: brisbanetimes

Picture seeing the incredible sight of a cassowary unexpectedly going for a swim in the ocean, and then discovering it later resting under a tree, clearly tired.

Nikita McDowell explained that the bird stood in the shade with wobbly legs for around half an hour before disappearing mysteriously.

“I knew it wasn’t going to have the energy to attack me or anything,” she told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “I am just so happy it’s moved on and is safe and healthy.”

Stephen Clough, a wildlife officer, added that “there’s an estimated 4,000 cassowaries remaining in Queensland, and they face numerous threats to their survival, including habitat loss, vehicle strikes, and domestic dog attacks.”

Image source: brisbanetimes

This uncommon experience reminds us of the importance of conservation efforts to safeguard these incredible birds.

ANIMALS

Amazing Video of Unseen Ocean Creatures in the Ningaloo Canyons

The Schmidt Ocean Institute recently explored the Ningaloo Canyons on the western coast of Australia using a robotic underwater vehicle called the ROV Sebastian. Check out the amazing video of what they discovered in the deep parts of the Indian Ocean.

More info: Youtube

ANIMALS

These Pics Are Art and the Artists Are Insects

Flying insects move so quickly that they are hard to follow, but new technology and some smart ideas have helped Spanish photographer Xavi Bou do just that. After spending 10 years focusing on birds in flight for his Ornithographies project, he turned his attention to insects.

For Entomographies, he uses high-speed video footage taken by Adrian Smith, an insect expert at North Carolina State University, to study and record how insects move. Bou then picks multiple frames and combines them into single images that show the fast movements of one or more insects through space and time.

With Smith’s help, Bou has captured the aerial tricks of wasps, the jumps of leafhoppers, and the fluttering of butterflies in amazing detail. He hopes that by doing this, he can make people more aware of the decline in important insect populations around the world.

1. Zebra longwing

This butterfly, which is common in many areas of the Americas, really fits its name. It can fly very high with just a few flaps of its large wings.