Southern Cassowary, Casuarius casuarius johnsonii

Problem:
Clearing of tropical rainforest has divided the Southern Cassowary population into several small, fragile remnants.  In these patches of forests, cassowaries are susceptible to a range of threats (starvation, dog attack, shooting, and road accident) that are normally not as big a problem in larger areas of suitable habitat.

Background Information:
The Southern Cassowary is Australia's second largest bird, and probably its most spectacular.  It is being killed off by land clearing and habitat fragmentation, predation by dogs, road accidents and accidental capture in pig traps.

Research:
CSIRO, Joan Bentrupperbaumer and the Consultative Committee on Cassowary Conservation (CCCC) have researched the reasons for decline in cassowary numbers and have recommended rescue measures.  They have highlighted the cassowary's role in spreading the seeds of over 100 types of rainforest trees.  Rainforest plant diversity and homogeneity may depend on the presence of cassowaries.

Solution:
Retain core habitat that already exists.  Re-establish interconnection between habitat fragments.  Rehabilitate degraded habitat.  Develop strategies to deal with road deaths, agricultural expansion, pigs and dogs.

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