Southern cassowaries are critically important seed dispersers in tropical Queensland, facing significant welfare threats from road mortality and dog attacks.
Vehicle strikes cause traumatic injuries and death. Cassowaries that survive strikes with internal injuries often die before being found. Dog attacks cause deep lacerations and trauma. Male cassowaries killed by vehicles leave chicks unable to survive alone. Habitat loss compresses populations into smaller areas increasing road crossing frequency. Cassowaries accustomed to human food lose natural foraging behaviors.