Propagate and Plant: Cassowary Conservation

Creating safe habitat for the Southern Cassowary and all of the Daintree’s flora and fauna – continues to be a high priority for Rainforest Rescue. And we can do this – thanks to YOU!

In fact, our next identified rescue presents a very unique and special opportunity to buy Lot 24 Cape Tribulation Road, Daintree lowlands.

This beautiful rainforest is near prior rescues and connects directly to the National Park. It is in close proximity to 10 properties protected by Rainforest Rescue that form the Cape Kimberley Wildlife Corridor and the Milky Pine Wildlife Refuge; its protection further enhances these areas.

Like our last rescue, rare and endangered species such as the Southern Cassowary and Bennett’s Tree-Kangaroo have been seen in this vicinity, and ancient primitive flowering plants abound.

And we hope we will get this property as we know our rescue and regeneration work does in fact work. Just the other day our Nursery Manager, Marine, was excited to see a Cassowary father on the edge of Rainforest Rescue protected properties and the Baralba Corridor Nature Refuge.

Dad was with his chick, almost at juvenile age. Dad did a massive jump over the gully!

These frequent sightings are important to give the Rainforest Rescue crew the confidence that the Cassowary habitat and populations are continuing to be protected.

It is always a thrill when Marine sees a Cassowary, and in her role as Nursery Manger, many of the seeds she propagates to become seedlings to regenerate damaged rainforest, are in fact seeds that the Cassowary can use as a food source.

Thank YOU for helping us look after the endangered Cassowaries on the Daintree lowlands; we truly could not do this without you.

Rainforest Rescue’s Daintree Manager and volunteers continue to see southern cassowaries and their chicks north of the Daintree River, near Rainforest Rescue already protected land. Frequency of sightings reassures the whole team that the cassowary population numbers are healthy and growing, especially seeing cassowary offspring. Your support in helping us rescue, and restore, the habitat of these incredibly important endangered cassowaries is really paying off – for the rainforest, and the Earth.

Further great news for the Daintree’s cassowaries is that we are almost at our goal to buy back and protect forever our latest appeal property - Lot 27 Cape Tribulation Rd!

Amongst other precious, vulnerable, rare and endangered flora and fauna – the Southern Cassowary too calls this rainforest property home. This land was at the highest threat - in the midst of our appeal another buyer appeared and risked starting a bidding war which would be disastrous for the Daintree and conservation efforts. We managed to broker a deal with the owner to take our bid at asking – even though the rival was willing to go significantly higher. Fortunately, the owner chose to protect this land and go with Rainforest Rescue, even though it meant less money in their pocket. This means that all the rainforest animals that find themselves on Lot 27 will soon be safe and protected forever.

Cassowary droppings on Lot 27 show this is a regular path on the Cassowary’s foraging journeys through this habitat. Known as the ‘rainforest gardener’, the cassowary is able to swallow seeds that are too large (and toxic) for other animals – and then when they ‘poop’ the seeds out – they are then safe and in a small enough size for the other animals to eat!

The cassowary ‘poop’ also grows trees! It is full of lots of seeds so this too helps to strongly build a rainforest.

Thank YOU for helping us support the Southern Cassowaries and their offspring, to grow up in the safest habitat possible in the Daintree rainforest. They are safer because of YOU!