Tourists stumble upon 'elusive' find along Aussie road: 'Moment of shock'
Alex Lloyd was trekking with a group of international tourists when one of them spotted something rustling in the thick bush at Mount Hypipamee National Park in Far North Queensland. Initially startled, they stopped to figure out what it was and were quickly overcome with delight.
"A moment of shock was closely followed by awe and admiration for this phenomenal native bird... we came across a male cassowary with a chick," he told Yahoo News.
While Far North Queensland is known cassowary habitat, "it is not common to see one in the Atherton Tablelands so every sighting is extremely special," Lloyd said.
He captured footage of the tourists standing metres away from the bird, who was partially hidden in shade from the thick bush it stood in, as the group excitedly snapped pictures and lapped up the experience.
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The experience is reminiscent of another recent sighting near Mission Beach where an Aussie dad spotted a male cassowary with two chicks crossing the road. It is the male bird's responsibility to incubate the eggs for roughly 50 days before the eggs hatch and the chicks are raised for nine months before parting way with their parents. Cassowaries are solitary birds, only coming together to mate or rear their young — making the sight even more special.
It is believed there are only 4,000 of these native birds left in the country, according to the Wet Tropics Management Authority, with the species dating back to prehistoric times as one of the earliest birds to develop. They are an iconic Aussie figure and much is being done to aid their survival.
"Thanks to the continued work of local tree planting groups, wildlife corridors have increased the movement of species such as the southern cassowary," Llyod said. The Queensland government continues to fund a recovery plan for the native birds currently listed as endangered under Commonwealth Law.
Lloyd encourages Aussies to get out to the wet tropics and keep an eye out for the impressive birds.
"Exploring the cloud forests, you never know what you will come across. Walk slowly, listen carefully and keep your eyes peeled, you might just get lucky," he said.
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