Cassowaries are powerful, flightless birds with dagger-like claws that present unique welfare and safety challenges in zoo environments. Their needs are rarely met by conventional bird enclosures.
Zoo cassowaries face welfare challenges from the difficulty of providing adequate space for such a large, territorial bird. Their solitary nature makes social grouping inappropriate, but single housing in small enclosures produces apparent boredom and stress. Their frugivorous diet requires substantial variety and enrichment to replicate wild foraging complexity. Safety requirements often result in keeper distance protocols that limit behavioral monitoring and environmental refinement, creating a feedback loop that can entrench poor welfare.