It was very sad to receive this message from the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection on the day we launched our new campaign:
“On Monday 17 March 2014 a sub-adult cassowary was apparently hit by a vehicle and killed at Mourilyan Harbour [south of Innisfail]. The bird was found dead on Harbourline Road, and had a bald patch on its rump consistent with vehicle strike. The type of habitat was lowland rainforest / residential / commercial. The road was sealed and straight, with a speed limit of 80 km/hr, and the roadside was partly cleared.”
Please remember to slow down in Cassowary areas and be alert for birds crossing.
These roads should ha e speed humps and lots of them
how to instill in people – locals and visitors, a sense of awe and responsibility, to appreciate and care for such an essential part of the rainforest eco-system….yes with the speedbumps….when there are fewer than 1,000 of these ancient birds due to human encroachment on their habitat, we need to s l o w d o w n to ensure that they can survive and thrive into the future.