The chick of the world's most dangerous bird hatches

After a long hiatus, the chick of one of the most dangerous birds hatches

A chick of the Southern Cossack, one of the world's largest and most dangerous birds, has hatched successfully for the first time at a bird park in the Cotswolds in the UK.

Birdland rangers have been trying to breed these giant, flightless, dinosaur-like birds for more than 25 years, but have been unsuccessful in the past^[1].

But now they have succeeded. This is only the fourth hatching in Europe this year and the first in the UK since 2021.

"When we first laid eyes on the tiny chick, it was a really special moment. Cossacks have a reputation as one of the world's most dangerous birds, and their size, speed and power, combined with their knife-like claws measuring 10 cm long, mean that we have to take their care very seriously," says Cossack keeper Alistair Kin.

The new cub's parents are a male from Avifauna in Alphen, the Netherlands, and a female from Frankfurt, Germany. They have both lived in Birdland Park since 2012 and are listed in the European Endangered Species Programme.

It has been announced that visitors to Birdland in the Cotswolds will have the rare opportunity to see the rapidly growing chick in its enclosure in the coming weeks.

A bird breed close to extinction

The emu, a relative of the bird that lives in the tropical forests of Indonesia, New Guinea and northern Australia, is considered extremely dangerous: they are very strong and often aggressive and unpredictable.

Raising cassowary chicks in captivity is difficult because of their specific environmental and behavioral needs. The male incubates the eggs for up to two months and looks after the hatchlings. When the chicks hatch, the male takes them to his permanent feeding grounds and protects them for up to 16 months.

Although the conservation status of the Southern Cossacks, which live in tropical rainforests in distant lands, has recently been changed from 'Vulnerable' to 'Concerned', deforestation and human activities continue to threaten the long-term survival prospects of these truly unusual birds^[2].

Like other members of the ratite family, including ostriches and emus, these birds are flightless and considered excellent runners, capable of speeds of up to 51 kilometers per hour. Previous research shows that ancient people began breeding these dangerous birds in New Guinea around 18,000 years ago.

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University examined ancient eggshells and found that some of the younger eggs were burned and eaten by the ancients, but others were likely left to develop and hatch fully. Likely, the Cossack chicks were then raised to maturity and then slaughtered for their feathers and meat, which is still eaten as a delicacy in some parts of New Guinea.

Cassowaries are birds closely related to ostriches and emus

The cassowary is a subspecies of ostrich bird. They are large birds, 170 cm tall, weighing about 80 kg, and are usually grey-brown or black in colour. They do not fly and have three fingers with strong claws. There are 3 species in the entire Casuarina family.

The best-known is the Svalbard goatfish, which is found in northern and eastern Australia and New Guinea. The bird is about 150 cm tall and weighs up to 80 kg. It feeds mainly on fallen fruit and small animals. The male builds the nest on the ground, and the female lays 3-5 greenish eggs, both of which hatch. The young are laid only by the male.

The emu is the only species in the emu family. It can weigh up to 55 kg and reach a height of up to 70 cm. The emu has a flat beak, head, and neck covered with feathers.

The emu lives in the Australian steppe in the semi-desert. It feeds on seeds, fruits, berries, and small animals. The male builds the nest, which usually contains 8-10 eggs. The nest is laid for eight weeks, and the young are also reared by the male alone.

In some cases, cassowaries are also kept as exotic animals, but this is illegal in many countries and is considered extremely dangerous to humans. Back in 2019, the world was shocked when a cassowary fatally injured a 75-year-old man that he kept at home in North Florida.

It was then reported that the local police and ambulance received an urgent call and arrived at the scene to find the man badly injured by the bird. The man, named Marvin Hajos, was rushed to hospital, but the medics were unable to save his life.

The police then launched an investigation, but initial information showed that the incident was simply an accident: the man had fallen down near a bird for unknown reasons and was attacked. In Florida, a special permit is required to keep this bird in the home or close to the home.