The cassowary is one of the most interesting bird species. Mostly known as the most dangerous bird on the planet. The cassowary is a type of flightless bird (ratite) that belongs to the order of Casuariiformes. These long-legged, large birds are cousins to the emus and have 3 subspecies, the most common being the southern cassowary. They can be found in the tropical forests of New Guinea, the northeastern part of Australia, and the Aru Islands.
Cassowary can jump 5 feet in the air from a standing position!
A dinosaur closely resembling a cassowary was recently discovered!
The first relatives of these birds are thought to have evolved around 60 million years ago, shortly after the extinction of the dinosaurs. Furthermore, a dinosaur fossil that is strikingly similar to a cassowary was discovered in 2017. Even though they aren’t related, cassowaries still carry a lot of ancient traits, that can only be found in a few animals today.