Cassowary Calendar 2009 #1

It is with great relief that we report the return of the Cassowaries to our property. We have not seen them since last August. Up till then, they were wandering through each day, sometimes more than once. We had all sorts of negative thoughts as to what might have happened to them. The worst case scenario was that they had been hit by a car or that the loose dogs in the neighborhood had chased them away. The latter seems quite probable as these birds are susceptible to attacks from dogs. They can handle themselves if confronted by a single dog but if more than one is threatening them, they are usually goners. Neighbours across the street pay no heed to the leash laws and their dogs are frequently on our property. Other residents have seen them chasing the Cassowaries. We hope to be able to report on their presence regularly now.

Seeing the pair together might suggest that the courting season is upon us. If this is the case, the male will disappear for about 6 weeks while he incubates the eggs and then he will emerge with the season's hatchlings. Let's hope........