07/18/2011
blogs.discovery.com/animal_news
Flightless Bird Flees, Momentarily Gets Outta Dodge
The gates at the Denver Zoo were temporarily closed on Friday as employees searched for a large, dangerous bird called a cassowary that escaped from its enclosure, according to The Denver Post. a cassowary — a potentially dangerous, large, flightless bird native to Australia — escaped its enclosure and zoo officials promptly created “a safe barrier distance” between the bird and zoo visitors.
Adult cassowaries grow between 5 and 6 feet tall, weigh around 100 pounds, and are marked by sharp claws and a hard helmet-like crest on their heads. The third tallest and second heaviest bird in the world, smaller only than the emu and ostrich, the cassowary is flightless and can run in excess of 30 mph.
Unfortunately for this adventure bird, his life on the lam was short-lived as he was located a short time later on the zoo property. No one was hurt.
The San Diego Zoo calls cassowaries ‘the most dangerous bird in the world’ due to their reputation for injuring people and domestic animals. Their toes have long, straight nails which are capable of causing serious injuries, if not death.
[Learn more about amazing cassowaries here >]
Check out this couple having a full Jurassic Park-meets Cujo run-in with a cassuary below!
well,…why didn’t he get out and pet it??
what happend to this web site? the old b4 is gone! there is more than escaped BIRDS GOING ON IN THE WORLD, AND MUCH MORE IMPORTANT! ANY BODY OUT THERE?
The drumsticks go great with an onion gravy.
@Anonymous
Funny break from the bleak though…
5′ to 6′ feet tall, 100 pounds, runs at 30 mph, with a built in crash helmet?
Pretty bad ass for a bird.
I got out of bed for this…….
i named him timmy
That birds thinking, “Roll that window down stupid humans so I can have a snack”.