快猫短视频

EXCEPT in Hitchcock鈥檚 famous film, birds seldom attack people. But when those
that do are up to 2 metres tall and can weigh 85 kilograms鈥攚ith a
12-centimetre spike on each foot鈥攖he results can be serious.

Australia鈥檚 largest bird, the ostrich-like cassowary, has become so unafraid
of people that it has begun to attack them for food. A survey by Christopher
Kofron of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service in Cairns reveals a spate of
attacks over the past decade, with six people seriously injured.

Although fewer than a thousand southern cassowaries (Casuarius casuarius
johnsonii) are thought to remain in the tropical rainforests of
northeastern Queensland, they are increasingly coming into contact with people
as houses, roads and agriculture encroach on their habitat. Well-intentioned
ramblers and locals have even started hand-feeding them.

To compensate for their flightlessness and to defend against predators, the
birds can run at up to 50 kilometres per hour and deliver powerful kicks. 鈥淭he
foot can be used as a formidable weapon capable of causing serious injuries such
as lacerations, puncture wounds and ruptures of internal organs,鈥� says Kofron.
The dagger-like claws that they carry are used by some tribes in Papua New
Guinea as spearheads.

Kofron based his survey on eye-witness accounts reported to the parks and
wildlife service and the local police, as well as newspaper reports. He found
records of cassowaries attacking 150 people, 35 dogs, three horses and a cow in
three areas.

Three-quarters of the victims were attacked for food. Over half were chased,
but many were charged or kicked. Four people were jumped on, including a
five-year-old girl. One fatal attack took place in 1926, after the victim had
tried to strike and kill the bird.

Kofron believes that the birds have lost their wariness and become
conditioned to expect food from people, often demanding it with a kick. 鈥淔eeding
cassowaries changes their natural behaviour, making them bold and aggressive,鈥�
he says. The attacks on dogs are probably caused by an instinctive reaction
toward dingoes, but the reason for the horse and cow incidents is less
clear.

Kofron recommends that people should stop hand-feeding the birds. As well as
being dangerous, feeding the birds puts them at risk by attracting them to areas
where there are cars and dogs. If confronted by a cassowary, people should
remain standing and move behind a tree, or quickly leave the area without
turning their back, he warns.