Project: Cassowary

Discover how WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo is working with Rainforest Rescue to help protect endangered Southern Cassowaries and the rainforest habitat they depend on.

Southern Cassowaries are large, flightless birds instantly recognisable by their glossy black feathers, vibrant blue neck and distinctive casque on top of their head.

They are also much more than an impressive rainforest resident. Cassowaries play an important ecological role by eating rainforest fruits and carrying their seeds through the forest, helping plants spread and regenerate. The Southern Cassowary is important to maintaining rainforest plant diversity and community structure.

Why are Southern Cassowaries endangered?

The Southern Cassowary is listed as Endangered under Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. While habitat protection and rehabilitation have helped in parts of its range, cassowaries continue to face a number of significant threats.

Habitat loss

Clearing can remove the rainforest cassowaries rely on for food, shelter and breeding.

Habitat fragmentation

When rainforest becomes divided into smaller areas, cassowaries may need to travel further or cross roads to move between suitable habitats.

Roads and vehicles

Roads through cassowary habitat create a significant risk of vehicle strikes.

Dogs

Domestic dogs can injure or kill cassowaries, particularly young birds.

Human interaction

Feeding wild cassowaries can encourage them to approach people, homes and roads, increasing the risks they face. These threats are all identified in Australian recovery planning for the species.

How Project: Cassowary is helping

Protect

Help safeguard important rainforest habitat.

Rainforest Rescue identifies and purchases high conservation value rainforest, helping protect important habitat from development and conserve it for the future. Its current Daintree protection portfolio includes rainforest classified as essential habitat for the endangered Southern Cassowary.

Restore

Bring damaged rainforest back to life.

Previously cleared and degraded areas can be restored through revegetation and ongoing habitat management, creating more places for native wildlife to feed, move and shelter.

Reconnect

Create stronger wildlife corridors.

Connecting fragmented areas of rainforest gives cassowaries and other native species more space to safely move between habitats. Rainforest Rescue's work in the Daintree specifically focuses on increasing habitat connectivity as well as protecting biodiversity.

Reach

Connect people with cassowary conservation.

At WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, Project: Cassowary helps bring the story of the Daintree and its wildlife to visitors thousands of kilometres away. Through education, fundraising, advocacy and conservation experiences, we can help more people understand why protecting cassowaries, and their rainforest home, matters.

What can you do to help cassowaries?

Small actions can help protect cassowaries and other Australian wildlife.

• Protect natural habitat and respect wildlife when exploring natural areas.
• Never feed wild cassowaries. They need to find their own natural food.
• Drive carefully when travelling through cassowary habitat and follow wildlife warning signs.
• Keep dogs under control around native wildlife and natural areas.
• Support habitat conservation helping protect and reconnect Australian rainforests.
• Share what you learn and help others understand why cassowaries and rainforests need protection.