A group of wildlife rangers caught the terrifying moment in which they were pursued by an irate cassowary.
The wildlife rangers performed trail inspections throughout Wuthathi Country on the Northern Cape York Peninsula in Queensland while riding quad bikes.
A territorial cassowary then proceeded to pursue them at full speed for many hundred meters.
The cassowary was seen on video approaching the quad bike as the vehicle raced down the trail.
The animal dips beneath tree branches and runs at full speed during the whole pursuit, showing no sign of slowing down.
Cameron Wilson said that he was the first team member to meet the cassowary.
He was driving his quad bike ahead of the other wildlife rangers when he became aware of an unsettling presence approaching from behind. He looked around and saw a cassowary pursuing him with great speed.
His quad bike collided with an embankment, and Mr. Wilson looked at the cassowary for eight minutes until his colleague Clayton Enoch arrived.
“Cam was gesturing at me to slow down, and I thought, ‘Why?’” Mr. Enoch disclosed to the Australian Rural and Regional News.
Then he pointed behind me with two fingers, and I spotted the cassowary in the brush. I said, “Holy s***!”
Mr. Enoch pushed Mr. Wilson onto his quad bike, and the two attempted to flee while the cassowary pursued.
Mr. Enoch added, “I was stung by a limb covered with green ants and had them crawling all over me at the same time.”
According to him, the animal stopped pursuing them and shifted its focus to the other rangers traveling in a six-seater buggy down the trail.
Area coordinator Sophie Halt compared the situation to a scene from the blockbuster suspense film Jurassic Park.
Despite their great timidity, cassowaries are considered the most dangerous bird in the world.
They can reach a height of 1.8 meters and a weight of 70 kilos. Their legs are capable of delivering forceful kicks, and their claws may reach a length of 10 centimeters.
