Cassowaries are critical rainforest seed dispersers whose survival in Australia depends on resolving conflicts with vehicle traffic, dogs, and habitat loss in tropical Queensland.
Cassowary welfare is acutely threatened in the peri-urban areas of tropical Queensland where rainforest meets human settlement. Vehicle strikes cause traumatic injuries — many are non-fatal initially, leaving cassowaries suffering for days before dying or being found. Dog attacks often target cassowary chicks and the male guardians defending them, causing immediate and severe suffering. Feeding cassowaries by humans — seemingly kindly — habituates them to approaching vehicles and dwellings, dramatically increasing their risk of vehicle strike. The welfare-positive approach is maintaining natural wariness through non-feeding policies, reducing vehicle speeds in cassowary zones, and keeping dogs contained near rainforest areas.