'Stalking us': Aussies warned about ‘deadly’ issue at popular family campsite

Visitors are knowingly and unknowingly putting themselves at risk. 

We all know that we shouldn't feed native birds. 

“They need to learn to find their own food sources,” a local ranger might tell our kids while in a National Park.

And so we oblige and tell our little ones to as well, or else we feel guilty about our human impact on the local environment.

But what if feeding a bird could have even worse consequences and prove deadly?

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Image: DESI

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The 'deadly' campsite threat

That’s what visitors at a popular family campground have been warned about after many have been caught feeding the area's resident cassowaries. 

The flightless, emu-like creature has been described as the "world's most dangerous bird" due to its sharp claws, which can seriously injure or kill a person or a dog instantly. 

In 2019, a cassowary killed a 75-year-old man in America, however, the last fatality in Australia was in 1926. 

Injuries usually happen when people try to feed them, like at Murray Falls campground in Queensland's north, a popular family campsite known as a "prime cassowary habitat". 

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Senior Wildlife Officer Alex Diczbalis from Queensland's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) told Yahoo News that the large birds have grown used to getting food from people at the campground.

He said that although many campers come to this area specifically to see the wildlife, tourists could end up experiencing a significantly closer and more dangerous interaction than they were expecting. 

"The cassowaries at Murray Falls have become habituated to receiving food from humans and have begun to enter camps, and actively take food from plates or the hands of campers," he said. 

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Cassowaries can get aggressive quickly

People have unintentionally or intentionally fed the birds, which has led to the birds “stalking the camping area” expecting to be fed. 

As a result, campers are now under threat, as cassowaries can get aggressive if they can’t access food or feel threatened. 

Campers have now been informed that they need to ensure that all food, scraps, and rubbish are secure and not accessible to cassowaries, and extra care needs to be taken around mealtimes. 

This may mean having to eat inside tents, caravans or vehicles. 

If someone is intentionally caught feeding a cassowary, they could face a fine of up to $6,452. Or, it may even cost them their life.

Originally published as 'Stalking us': Aussies warned about ‘deadly’ issue at popular family campsite