“World’s most dangerous bird” emerges from ocean, stunning onlookers

An enormous creature considered by some to be the “world’s most dangerous bird” shocked beachgoers in Bingil Bay in northeastern Australia as it rose from the water and shook itself off, the Queensland Government said in a news release.

Called a cassowary, the towering, flightless bird is related and somewhat similar in appearance to an ostrich or emu, and can grow to be as tall as a human person. One of three surviving species of cassowaries in the world, only one the southern cassowary is found in Australia. The bird’s native habitats include the tropical rainforests of northeast Queensland, Papua New Guinea, which is across the water from those Queensland rainforests, and some surrounding islands.

The southern cassowary has a distinct look, with Queensland environmental officials describing its characteristic glossy black plumage, a tall, brown “helmet” on top of its head, and a “dagger-shaped” claw attached to the innermost toe on each of its feet. They are Australia’s heaviest bird, with females weighing up to about 165 pounds and males weighing as much as 120.

via news.yahoo.com

Of course it did.