Cassowaries in the Daintree Rainforest 24/11/10

24th November 2010

Wild Cassowary Family in the Daintree Rainforest

We booked a day tour with a local wilderness group to take us to a variety of rainforest locations between Cairns and Cape Tribulation during our Cairns Visit in November 2010.  

On the day of the tour it poured rain and the guide who took our group to the Cooper Creek Wilderness in the Daintree Rainforest, said we were most unlikely to spot a Cassowary in such poor weather.  

After we had had a good look around the rainforest, Brendon and I headed off on our own away from the group for a further look around.  We came across evidence of the Cassowary with plenty of large poo's on the bush track and saw plenty of the vibrant purple Cassowary Plum fruit (one of their main food sources).  We were about to head back the way we came, and turned around to see a male Cassowary with two large juvenile Cassowaries, heading right towards us!!  We couldn't get the camera's out from underneath our raincoats quick enough!  We stood still as the family walked towards us, one of the juveniles gobbled up the purple Cassowary Plum that I had only just photographed minutes earlier.  They weren't worried by us and came quite close to us, then headed off back into the rainforest, blending in with the tropical surrounds.  

It was without a doubt one of the most surreal, exciting experiences of our lives, and we felt so blessed to have this interaction with these exquisite endangered birds in the wild.  Words can't really describe how amazing it was.  Our photos weren't fabulous, considering the short amount of time we had to take them and the rain, but we were pleased to at least capture a little of our wild Cassowary encounter.  It is something we will remember forever.

Brendon & Judi

Cassowary family heading towards us in the Daintree Rainforest, 24/11/10.

Cassowary family heading towards us in the Daintree Rainforest, 24/11/10.

Cassowary family heading towards us in the Daintree Rainforest, 24/11/10.

Male Cassowary in the Daintree Rainforest, 24/11/10.

Juvenile Cassowary in the Daintree Rainforest, 24/11/10.

Cassowary family heading back into the Daintree Rainforest, 24/11/10.

Juvenile Cassowary  pauses for a second while the rest of the family head back into Daintree Rainforest, 24/11/10.

Juvenile Cassowary following his Dad back into the Daintree Rainforest, 24/11/10.

Cassowary Fruit or Plum.  I took a photo of this fruit and not long after the cassowaries came walking along and one of the juveniles picked it up and swallowed it whole. J.G.