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The cassowary is a unique and distinctive bird; it's found mainly in the Daintree rainforests of Australia. Similar to emus and ostriches, the cassowary is a large, flightless bird called a ratite. And because of continuous residential development, its population is dwindling.
You'll want to see the bird in action before it's too late—only about 1,000-1,500 birds still thrive today. And not only is the bird a keystone species because of its cultural significance to many indigenous people of Australia, it also plays an integral part in the maintenance of the forest ecosystem. The cassowary is one of the few animals big enough to digest the rainforest's fruits containing large hard seeds. By dispersing the seeds throughout the forest, the cassowary helps various plants regenerate and continue to feed the fauna living within.
Different from other species, the male bird is responsible for rearing the young adults. The animals are shy by nature, so it might take a little deep exploration to spot one of these royal creatures in the wild. To guarantee that you get to see the animal while on your locum assignment, visit the Daintree Wilderness Lodge where a slew of cassowaries reside in an enclosed facility.