Cassowary survives category 5 cyclone but not crossing the road

30+ yo female known by local residents as 'Big Top' and 'Big Mama' - Photo Lina Bauer

Another cassowary has been killed attempting to cross a road at Mission Beach.

The adult female bird, was critically injured when she was hit by a car on Thursday 28th June on a section of road she had been crossing regularly all her life.  Queensland Parks and wildlife officers (QPWS) and the local vet attended the scene. She was taken to the Garners Beach cassowary rehabilitation facility where she was euthanized on Monday 2nd July after the injuries were assessed to be too serious for the bird to recover.

The speed limit along this section of road is 80kph but locals report vehicles are often seen to travel much faster.
Following photos by Laurie Trott

Residents in the area are devastated at the loss of their regular visitor known as 'Big Top’ and ‘Big Mama’

The healthy mature bird was also known by wildlife officers who managed the food supplementary program to help cassowaries survive while the Cyclone Yasi damaged rainforest recovered enough to provide an adequate supply of native fruits.

The program was widely supported in the media and by many environment groups and individuals, locally and nationally.  Bob Irwin is shown here at the Garners Beach cassowary facility with QPWS officer Andrew Millerd and  Rainforest Rescue CEO, Kelvin Davies in a combined effort to help support the survival of cassowaries at Mission Beach.

The successful program enabled the Mission Beach population of cassowaries to maintain their health over the past 18 months.

‘Big Top’ was in prime condition for the breeding season now in full swing. 

Cassowary campaigner Liz Gallie who has been taking records of individual cassowaries at Mission Beach for the last 5 years as part of the Mission Beach Cassowary Identification and Tracking Project commented  "It is hard to understand how so much effort can be put into helping these birds survive a natural event we have no control over such as a cyclone, yet the ongoing threats caused by urban expansion and development are not being adequately addressed”.

"This 30 year old bird survived the most devastating cyclone to hit the coast in 100 years only to die crossing the road to access it's essential habitat" said Ms Gallie

It is the eighth recorded death along a section of road made up of tight bends with crests and dips which some motorists consider to be an 'exciting drive'.

Local resident, Lina Bauer, who is used to seeing ‘Big Top’ every day, can't believe she won't be here any more. "It's awful" Lina said sadly. "She was so big and beautiful and healthy. I used to see her every day when she came through. She would sit and sleep here".

James Richie, who lives nearby and  whose two young sons would run upstairs to watch ‘Big Top’ eat fruit from a tree in their garden, is devastated.  "Both the boys got a close up view of the big bird" said James, "It was like watching a David Attenborough documentary".  He said “It is like missing a friend".

This is the second death of an adult cassowary in just three weeks at a road death hotspot identified in the JCU traffic management report* as an area of "very high cassowary mortality". * Page 266  The report makes a recommendation for immediate reduction of the speed limit to 60 and a combination of traffic calming measures.  (artist impression)

The detailed report was partly funded by an offset required by the federal government to approve a development under the EPBC Act that will generate significant additional traffic flow on Mission Beach roads.

The report states “The increase of traffic associated with residential subdivisions, resort developments and increased tourism will add to an already unsustainable level of cassowary road deaths. (Moore 2003, Moore 2007, Moore 2008)”

The birds will continue to cross the road in this area to access the diversity of food resources available between the mountain forest of the Djiru National Park and the freehold lowland forest areas of South Maria Creek.

“We have the report, we have the recommendations. Now we need action from the appropriate governing authorities” said Ms Gallie.

 “The death of this magnificent bird, and most of the cassowary deaths occurring as a result of vehicle strike, are completely avoidable"  Ms Gallie said, “So for goodness sake, if we can do it, let’s help the cassowaries cross the road safely so they can survive and thrive in their natural environment at Mission Beach”

"We need a firm commitment from the community and those businesses reliant on our special environment to be responsible for the impact  made on the natural environment.  The lack of appropriate planning in the past has now made special planning necessary if we are to save the exceptional natural values of our area.  It will come at a cost and those who want to profit from the special values of our area need to make a corresponding financial contribution. The longer we leave it the more costly it will become".

Read more in Terrain NRM  media release 'Death by a 1000 cars'