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Hi everybody, Malcolm Walker here. Ever
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heard of a bird that can take you out?
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No, I'm not talking about an angry
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ostrich. I'm talking about the casawary,
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the world's most dangerous bird. Hailing
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from the rainforests of New Guinea and
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northeastern Australia. This isn't your
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average feathered friend. Picture a
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turkey, but make it dinosaur sized with
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a brilliant blue head and a bony helmet
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called a cask. It's a stunning sight,
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but don't let its good looks fool you.
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So, what makes the casawary so
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dangerous? It's all in the feet. Each
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foot has three powerful toes, and the
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inner toe is equipped with a dagger-like
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claw that can grow up to 5 in long.
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That's a 5-in knife on its foot. When
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threatened, a casawary will leap into
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the air and kick with both feet, using
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these claws to slash and disembowel any
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perceived threat. They can run at speeds
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up to 30 mph and jump nearly 7 ft
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straight up. This is a bird you do not
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want to startle. Despite their fearsome
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reputation, casawaryies are actually
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quite shy and prefer to keep to
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themselves deep in the forest. They're
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primarily frugavores, meaning they
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mostly eat fruit. In fact, they play a
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crucial role in their ecosystem as
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rainforest gardeners. They swallow
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fruits whole and then disperse the seeds
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over large areas through their
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droppings, helping to regenerate the
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forest. Without casawaries, many plant
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species would struggle to survive.
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Unfortunately, these magnificent birds
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are facing threats. Habitat loss from
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deforestation, traffic accidents, and
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attacks by domestic dogs are pushing
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their populations down. The southern
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casawary is now listed as an endangered
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species. So, what can we do? Supporting
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conservation efforts and being
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respectful of their habitat is key. If
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you're ever lucky enough to be in
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Casawary country, keep your distance,
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never feed them, and simply admire them
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from afar. These incredible creatures
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are a living link to the age of
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dinosaurs and a vital part of our
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world's biodiversity.
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They command respect not just for their
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power, but for their essential role in
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nature. Thanks for watching. If you
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learned something new, hit that like
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button and subscribe for more amazing
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animal facts. See you next
