Cassowary visit: 'Honey, grab the camera'

A Cassowary  (Photo by Bjorn Torrissen)

As Sue Leach went fleeing out the door, her last words to husband Peter (who was cowering behind a table) were something like:  Honey, grab the camera.

Amazingly, Peter complied, which is why the Internet is now rife with cassowary pics.  What’s a cassowary?  A cassowary is a tall bird with sharp claws that can run “at speeds up to 50 kilometres an hour.”

In other words, a cassowary is not your ideal house guest.  Ideal or not, one happened to wander into the Leach home recently.  That was when Sue ran for cover.

Fortunately, Peter was unhurt.  The big bird just wanted to look around some.  After satisfying its curiosity, Mr. Cassowary then “walked straight out the front door.” He didn’t even leave any wet or slimy souvenirs.

Folklore has it that cassowaries are deadly to humans and pets.  World War II soldiers were warned to steer clear of them.  In New Guinea, however, cassowaries are sometimes raised as “semi-tame livestock, for use in ceremonial gift exchanges and as food.”

Resources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassowary

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/offbeat/cassowary-takes-wrong-turn-into-leach-familys-living-room-in-far-north-queensland/ar-BBrT9JX?li=BBnb4R7

Copyright April 18, 2016 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved