In April 2019, a 75-year-old farmer in Florida, USA, was attacked by an exotic bird he raised, and the elderly ended up dying in hospital due to their injuries.
This exotic bird is not a parrot or a canary, and they do not have the ability to kill people, but a huge cassowarman.
Cassowarves are known as the "most dangerous birds in the world," and in Florida, if you want to raise cassowners, you must pass a professional test to get a license.
So what kind of bird is the cassowara? Why is it so lethal?
Picture note: Double-hanging crane ostrich
Relatives of emus
The scientific name of the cassophagu is the crane ostrich, which is a common name for members of the genus Crane ostrich in the family Crane ostriches, while another bird under the order Crane ostrich is the emu.
Wild ostriches are found in Southeast Asia in Indonesia's Nusa Tenggara Islands, The Moluccas Islands, Australia's Island of New Guinea and tropical forests in the northeast.
They are omnivorous birds that feed mainly on fallen fruit under trees and fruits that grow low, but also eat mushrooms and some small animals.
The double-weeping crane ostrich is the third largest bird in the world, after the ostrich and the emu, and the adult double-weeping crane ostrich is about 1.5 meters to 1.8 meters tall and weighs about 60 kilograms.
Picture note: The bone helmet of the crane ostrich
Their feathers are dark, brightly colored on their necks and faces, and they have flesh hangings under their necks, two pieces of flesh in the double hanging crane ostrich and one piece of the single hanging crane ostrich.
Above their skulls grow a mountain-like bone called a bone helmet, which helps them remove obstacles in front of them as they run through the forest or in the grass.
Adult ostriches can run at speeds of up to 70 km/h, and ostriches, distant relatives of ostriches, also have a good running ability, and they can travel through forests at speeds of 50 km/h.
Their thick legs give them a strong jumping ability, usually they can jump more than 1.5 meters in one jump, and they are also very good at swimming.
Their large size certainly gives them some deterrent power, but the most frightening thing about them is their toes, which are their deadly weapons.
The crane ostrich has three toes on each foot, and the toes have long claws, of which the middle toe is obviously longer than the other two, and it is 15 centimeters long, like a dagger.
This "dagger" can not only pierce the enemy's internal organs and cause severe bleeding, but also easily cut the enemy and split it in two.
"Velociraptors" among birds
Most cranes prefer to be alone and only gather together during the breeding season, they are very alert and territorial, and they will show great aggression once they think that their territory has been violated.
Picture note: Crane ostrich attack power test
Also, like other animals, if you threaten their food or mate cubs, they will show no mercy!
We said that the advantages of the crane ostrich have three points, one is the ability to run, the second is the ability to jump, and the third is the dagger-like claws, and the attack method of the crane ostrich is a combination of all the advantages, it will pounce on the opponent at a very high speed, and then jump up high with the power to give the opponent a fatal blow with its sharp claws.
At the same time, excellent running ability and swimming ability can make opponents not even have a chance to escape, and it is not unreasonable for people to compare them to the velociraptor in Jurassic Park.
Top note: Velociraptors in Jurassic Park
Although we mentioned the incident of crane ostriches injuring people at the beginning, in fact, they rarely hurt people, but if they are deliberately provoked, the consequences are quite serious.
In 1926, in Queensland, Australia, 16-year-old Philip McLean and his 13-year-old brother were attacked by an angry crane ostrich.
At that time, the brothers went to fight the crane ostrich with their own weapons, a homemade wooden stick, but they did not expect that its strength was so great that the brothers were kicked to the ground one by one.
Then, without giving up, the crane ostrich walked directly towards Philip, slamming his neck with its deadly claws, the aorta being cut and blood gushing out.
During this time, Philip's brother took the opportunity to escape, he was not seriously injured, and his brother died in the forest due to excessive blood loss.
In addition, in 1990, another similar attack occurred, a crane ostrich tracked and almost killed a man, after attacking the man and stomping him unconscious, the crane ostrich inserted its claws into the man's chest a few centimeters, but the man survived.
Picture note: Crane ostrich cubs
Even, during World War II, troops stationed near the habitat of cranes and ostriches were warned by their superiors to avoid this big bird at all costs, because these magical creatures have the brainpower to strategically determine the best strike position!
If they can't attack you from the front, then they will find a way to attack from the side, in short, they will do everything they can to defeat you.
What is so terrible about this warning? The people being warned are people in the army, and they are not ordinary people who are unarmed!
Even they have to avoid conflicts with cranes and ostriches as much as possible, and you can imagine how desperate the average person would be if they encountered them.
Note: Road signs indicate not to speed
At last
The violence of crane ostriches is manifested when it is threatened, so as long as humans keep their distance from them, the number of injuries will naturally decrease.
But encroachment by property developers, replanted farmland, and other infrastructure such as roads and fences is slowly reducing the ostrich's favorite rainforest habitat.
Picture note: The egg of a crane ostrich
This can lead to more encounters with humans or predators, and adult crane ostriches are indeed powerful, but their young cubs are quite fragile.
On australian roads, there are often small cranes and ostriches that are not noticed by the driver because their coat color is similar to the road, so that they are hit and killed by cars.
In addition, dogs will also bite the little crane ostrich, which should also be the reason why the crane ostrich naturally hates dogs.