Cassowary Attack: Are Cassowaries Dangerous to Humans?

The cassowary is one of the closest living relatives to dinosaurs, and it looks the part. With prehistoric-looking feet and claws that can reach five inches long, cassowaries are imposing animals. Yet, how dangerous are they? We’ll dig into past cassowary attacks and decide whether this bird lives up to its title of “the most dangerous bird in the world.”

A History of Cassowary Attacks

The most comprehensive study on cassowary attacks was published in the Journal of Zoology by Christopher Kofron in 2006. The main findings were as follows:

• There have been 221 recorded cassowary attacks.
• 150 attacks were against humans.
• 75% of cassowary attacks resulted from humans feeding the birds.
• 71% of the time, cassowaries charged. They used their claws in only 15% of incidents.
• 22% of cases were cassowaries defending themselves or their eggs, the rest were the result of humans proactively trying to approach the birds.
• 3% (7) of cassowary attacks led to serious injuries.
• A single attack led to a fatality. (After this study was completed, another cassowary fatality occurred in Florida.)

It’s that last bullet point that has led to so much attention. Snake bites are estimated to kill 81,000 to 138,000 people annually. Every year, crocodiles kill around 1,000 people. Even hippos kill at least 500 people a year.

Death from physical trauma caused by birds is rare. In fact, ostriches, chickens and roosters, and cassowaries are the only birds worldwide that have caused human deaths from physical contact. As lethal attacks are so rare, let’s examine the two cases where cassowary attacks were fatal.

Fatal Cassowary Attacks: Australia and Florida

The first known cassowary attack that led to death happened in 1926. Two Australian teenagers attacked a cassowary with clubs. After one of the teenagers fell to the ground, the cassowary struck his neck with its large, sharp claw. The cut was large and struck the teenager’s jugular vein, so he was unable to survive the attack.

The second cassowary attack that led to death happened in Florida in 2019. A 75-year-old man was keeping a cassowary as a pet on his farm. He fell near a fenced area housing the cassowary, but within striking distance of the animal. While he lay on the ground, the cassowary struck him more than 12 times, causing deep cuts across most of his upper body. The man was able to call 911, but didn’t survive the attack.

Cassowaries generally live in very remote areas. Most cassowary attacks in Australia have occurred around the city of Cairns, the largest city near cassowary populations. In New Guinea, they often live in dense forests far from population centers. Indigenous populations far from city centers do not always report cassowary attacks, so their attacks on humans are possibly understated. So, it’s likely the cassowary is the most dangerous bird in the world.

How to Survive a Cassowary Attack

It’s important to remember two things about previous cassowary attacks:

• Both attacks resulting in fatalities were avoidable. In one situation, the bird was being attacked. In the second, a cassowary was being kept as a pet.
• 75% of cassowary attacks are the birds charging, and most are the result of humans feeding them.

If you leave cassowaries alone, your odds of being attacked are low. If you encounter a cassowary, keep in mind that they’re easily startled and unpredictable. The best course of action is to slowly back away. Furthermore, you don’t want to be on the ground. Both cassowary deaths occurred after people fell to the ground and were exposed to their large claws.

Cassowaries prefer to simply charge and bump, which may hurt, but isn’t deadly. If you’re on the ground, though, you’re within range of their dagger-like claw. Its claws can easily cut open predators such as crocodiles, pythons, and dingos. Unfortunately, humans can also fall victim to the cassowary, so it’s best to be wary.