Calls for road slowdown after heart-breaking loss of cassowary dad
Shire wildlife
The death of a cassowary while he was looking after two small chicks has prompted calls for drivers to stick to speed limits in the Daintree Rainforest region.
A video posted on social media in September by local business Daintree Siesta showed a father being followed around by the two babies, warming the hearts of viewers who witnessed the chicks sticking so close to the adult bird.
But another post this week broke many of those hearts.
“Very sad to say that since this video was taken this daddy cassowary has passed after being hit by a car,” the post stated.
“While we are devastated by this news, we are also currently exploring ways to improve the emergency response process for injured cassowaries on the Daintree Coast, and what we can do to reduce risk for animals and people going forward.”
One tour operator spoken to by Newsport referred to a recent piece by regular columnist Lawrence Mason, calling for a follow-up column.
“The highest speed allowable north of the river is 70km/h,” Mr Lawrence wrote.
“Nobody follows these insane limits.”
Support public interest journalism
Help us to continue covering local stories that matter. Please consider supporting below.
