Cassowary with serious injuries after being struck in Mission beach Oct 8th

Media Release, 8th October 2010

Another cassowary was hit by a vehicle as it attempted to cross the road at the approach to Mission Beach.  Workers on the new bikeway/footpath between the Royal Palms Estate and Nonda Street saw the accident which occurred at 10 am within the recently reduced 60 kph zone. If the speed limit was still 80 kph, the cassowary could have been killed and the vehicle and driver seriously injured. The driver did not stop so the opportunity to learn from the incident is lost unless they subsequently contact Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS).  The sub adult cassowary was approx 3 years of age and sustained extensive injuries but was able to move into the rainforest when the local vet and QPWS rangers approached it some time later.
Local residents have been asked to be on the lookout for the bird and report sightings to QPWS on 1300 130 372 and C4 on 4068 7197

‘Recent Crossing’ signs warning motorists of the possibility of cassowary presence had recently been placed in the area by QPWS as is customary following reports of regular sightings.

“It is a known cassowary crossing zone”. C4 spokesperson Liz Gallie said.

“Sixty cassowary deaths on roads at Mission Beach in fifteen years is a shocking record, and those are the ones we know about” said Ms Gallie “We don’t know how many go unreported where the bird goes back into the bush to die”

Records from the C4 Cassowary Identification Project indicate the bird is almost certainly the one QPWS rangers had to cut a fence to release a year ago after it had been trapped for several hours.   A bird of similar appearance was recently reported trapped behind the fence at the new industrial estate in the vicinity.

“We need better development planning.  A Cassowary Coast planning scheme ‘Local Plan’ and State Planning Regulatory Provisions like South East Queensland’s koala provisions are essential to address the complexities of development and the traffic it generates in the high biodiversity area of Mission Beach.” voiced a concerned Ms Gallie.

To see images of cassowary casualties click here. WARNING images may be upsetting and disturbing.

For more information please contact Liz Gallie 0414 402315

Web: www.cassowaryconservation.asn.au

Email: c4@cassowaryconservation.asn.au

Media Release 5 Sep 2010

At approximately 2 pm on Saturday 4 September 2010 a large female cassowary was fatally injured after a being struck by a vehicle which was travelling east along the Bramston Beach Road near Innisfail, North Queensland.

The bird was a mature female in excellent condition and weighing an estimated 60 kilograms.

The injured bird disappeared into thick roadside vegetation and the driver contacted Bramston Beach conservationist Mr Russell Constable, with a request to find the cassowary and contact the relevant authorities.

At 2.20 pm Mr Constable found the injured cassowary sitting in a rainforest creek and contacted Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation (C4) representative Liz Gallie, who in turn contacted the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.  Ms Gallie relayed essential information from her office whilst Mr Constable focussed on monitoring the injured cassowary until help arrived.

Veterinarian, Dr Tom Gough, from Innisfail Tully Veterinary Surgery arrived on the scene and administered a tranquiliser so the injured bird could be moved out of the creek and examined thoroughly.  The injured cassowary was found to have a severed foot and at 3.15 Dr Gough acted promptly to euthanize the injured cassowary.

Two Queensland Parks and Wildlife officers arrived shortly after the examination and removed the dead cassowary from the site.

Mr Constable said:

“Unfortunately this bird stepped out of thick roadside vegetation in a wildlife corridor that has an 80km/h speed limit, leaving the driver with little opportunity to take evasive action.”

“The gentleman who struck the cassowary has my sincere thanks for ensuring the accident was reported.  He saved this bird from a slow and painful death and I believe it is not uncommon for people to drive away after such incidents.”

“Bramston Beach cassowaries belong to Innisfail’s Graham Range population and they are impacted by vehicle strike, dog attacks, habitat fragmentation/loss and of course coastal development such as the proposed Ella Bay resort complex and urban development”.

“We only have approximately 1500 of these magnificent endangered birds left in Australia and this is a tragic loss not just for our small Bramston Beach community but it is a loss for all Australians”

QPWS officers who arrived on the scene were impressed by the condition of this large female bird and said that DNA samples would be given to scientists to help them with their research into Australia’s endangered southern cassowary.

To see images of cassowary casualties click here. WARNING images may be upsetting and disturbing.

More Info: Russell Constable 0447 674250 email:dontpushtheriver01@dodo.com.au

http://ellabayforever.blogspot.com/search/label/cassowaries