Australians are known for their bravery. After all, when you live in a country that has almost every kind of snake and spider, nothing seems so scary anymore. But even they respect the cassowary.
This giant bird stands as tall as an adult human (up to 1. 8 metres), weighs over 60 kilograms, and has sharp claws（爪子）up to 12 centimetres long. It looks like a creature from the age of dinosaurs.
Cassowaries play an important role in rainforest ecosystems. As the largest fruit-eaters on Earth, cassowaries eat and digest（消化）dozens of fruits every day. Their droppings help seeds spread and regrow throughout the forest.
Unlike most birds, male cassowaries are"full-time single fathers". That is, male cassowaries look after the young alone. After females lay 3-5 eggs, males incubate（孵）them for about 50 days without leaving the nest to better protect the chicks.
Although cassowaries seldom attack humans, accidents happen from time to time. Last year, a video showed a woman in Queensland trying to keep her food out of the claws of a hungry cassowary. However, a study found 75%of attacks happen when humans are feeding them. Experts advise staying calm if you meet a cassowary: hide food and move slowly.
Home loss, road accidents, and dog attacks have reduced their population to fewer than 4, 500 in Australia. "Far more cassowaries die from humans than the other way around, " says researcher Peter Rowles. Protectíng these"living fossils" is necessary——not only for their survival but for the survival of whole rainforest ecosystems that depend on their seed-spreading magic.
