...an article looking at the Southern Cassowary and the work of 'C4' - the Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation at Mission Beach, Queensland, Australia.
If you visit Mission Beach, a Wet Tropics World Heritage Site on the northeast coast of Queensland, Australia you will not fail to notice the presence of the mysterious 'rainforest warrior' - the Southern Cassowary.
Turning off the Bruce Highway, the main road through the area is called Cassowary Drive. As you pass through the tropical rainforest there are signs everywhere warning of birds crossing the roads and, accordingly, asking you to keep your speed down. By the various car parks there are instructions not to feed them and advice on how to react to curious or hungry birds. The final and most blatant clue that you have entered Cassowary country is at Wongaling Beach where a huge model Cassowary stands over a set of shops which sell Cassowary postcards and include the Cassowary cafe!
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| Fig.1 Roadsign along Cassowary Drive, Mission Beach warning of Cassowaries crossing the roads |
The Southern Cassowary
The Southern Cassowary is an amazing species. Aswell as Queensland it can only be found in Papua New Guinea, where its two cousins, the Single-Wattle, and Dwarf Cassowaries also live. The name Cassowary derives from the Papuan words, "kasu" meaning horned and "weri" - head. Many aspects of its life are truly fascinating and scientists are still searching for some answers regarding its evolution. They are flightless and share a common ancestor with birds such as New Zealands' Kiwi, South American Rheas and Africas' Ostrich. They are large (adults usually weighing around 35-60 kilos) and can be long-lived as they have no real natural enemies. Being fairly solitary creatures they rarely tolerate other birds in their large territories, the exceptions are during the mating season (the only time the dominant, polygamous female will allow a male anywhere near her!) and when there are major food shortages. The male incubates the eggs and is wholly responsible for the upbringing of the small, stripy chicks. Largely silent, they occasionally communicate using grunts to whistles (father to babies) or a deep, resonating, Bittern-like 'boom' (a territorial 'Who's that on my patch?') Adults possess a dagger-like claw which they will use if threatened; their kicks are capable of disembowelling a man. Attacks on humans are very rare and only one fatality has ever been recorded in Australia, way back in 1926.
Once common, all populations are diminishing. They are now believed to be under severe pressure in Papua New Guinea, due to land-clearing and hunting, and it is now considered to be the most threatened animal in the North Australian rainforest. Indeed, they are now extinct at former sites such as Mount Whitfield in Cairns - as a result of shrinking habitat and attacks by domestic dogs - and Lake Barrine in the Atherton Tablelands, through road fatalities.
The Cassowary has always formed an integral part of the lives of the inhabitants of Mission Beach. The local Aborigines told of how they thought it came into being - a lazy, awful man named 'Goon-doy-ee' was set upon by his fellow tribesmen. His arms were hacked off and he turned into a Cassowary. The Aborigines have many customs, stories, songs and dances about the Cassowary as they lived side by side with them for thousands of years. They also hunted and ate them in small numbers. More recently the Jorrisons, a couple who migrated to Australia in 1957, donated their land to the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Freida Jorissen, now known affectionately as the 'Cassowary Mother', first became interested in their conservation when a bird (which they named 'Abraham') started eating bananas from their plantation soon after they had started farming in the area.
C4 - the Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation
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| Fig.2 The 'rainforest warrior' - the Southern Cassowary |
Soon after, C4 - the Consultative Committee for Cassowary Conservation - was formed. Armed with knowledge, integrity and a strong desire to retain the areas' precious eco-system this committed and determined band of volunteers set about creating a set of goals to strive for. Their aims included:
- To implement the Cassowary management plan, Mission Beach environs.
- To promote and support World Heritage values.
- To identify and ensure the retention of environmentally significant areas.
- To liase with all levels of government and have input planning and development that impacts on the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the Mission Beach community.
- To maintain a heightened community awareness of environmental issues through education and dissemination of information.
During a visit to the Wet Tropics Centre early last year I spoke to some of the main 'movers and shakers' in the organisation. Mary Ritchie is head of Public Relations. The hours she spends with C4 takes up such a huge part of her life that she only works a paid job part-time. She summed up one of the main ethics of C4; "We have always believed that with common sense and good neighbourhood practises we can live in harmony with this charismatic megapod." She also takes care of rescue/rehabilitation - her home is often full of injured animals!
Brenda Harvey is the political brains of the operation. Her tasks include attending Council meetings and lobbying politicians. Bob Brighton is concerned with land-care issues. He provided me with some startling statistics; "Queensland has no statewide controls to protect native vegetation on freehold land and there is more land-clearing here than any other state in Australia - if we were a separate nation we would have the highest rate of clearing in the world." Dot Beavis looks after the Reforestation project. As she explained, "Cassowaries are a vital link in the regeneration of the rainforest. Because of their size they eat large fruits and seeds. These pass through their bodies almost whole and the process begins again. Smaller animals either can't manage such large food items or destroy them during eating or digesting.
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| Fig.3 Cassowary dung; an extremely important link in the regeneration of the rainforest in Tropical North Queensland. |
Without the Cassowaries many plants would not survive. The C4 nursery is based on this natural recycling system - we collect Cassowary droppings, propagate the seeds in potting mix and nurture the seedlings. When they are ready we organize 'plantouts' in degraded sites to enrich the habitat." All their work is supplemented by the efforts of many other local volunteers, who help in the every day running of C4.
The group frequently liase with contracted scientists who make detailed behavioural and territorial studies. Enchantingly, this involves the scientist actually 'becoming' a Cassowary! One such scientist was Joan Bentrupperbaumer who said that it took many hours of patience to become accepted by a Cassowary family. She had to cover extensive tracts of rainforest, following them carefully in their search for food.
It has been a long and winding road for C4 (now the Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation) since their formation. The most serious obstacle they faced was the burning down of their office and environmental display, which occurred soon after it had been opened at the tail end of 1994. But they're a hardy bunch and their dedication has earned them occasional grants and funding, and in 1995 a visit by Christoph Imboden, the Executive Director of Birdlife International. Their colourful and informative education centre has been fully functional for 4 years, but there are still many mountains to climb and as Mary Ritchie says; "This area could become an environmental disaster. Unless there is a swift attitude change in people who own large tracts of land Mission Beach may be known as the place where Cassowaries used to roam."
C4 can be contacted at c4@iig.com.au or on-line at: www.cassowaryconservation.asn.au. For details of excellent accommodation (Sanctuary eco-lodge) at Mission Beach go to: www.sanctuaryatmission.com
References:
"Cassowaries in North-eastern Queensland: Report of a survey and a review and assessment of their status and conservation and management needs" F.H.J.Crome and L.A.Moore - Tropical Forest research Centre, Atherton
Mission Beach Bulletin No.48
Rainforest Aboriginal magazine Number 3
"Special people, a special animal and a special vision: the first steps to restoring a fragmented tropical landscape" F.H.J.Crome and J.Bentrupperbaumer
Wet Tropics Centre display, Mission Beach
Wet Tropics newspaper