Southern cassowaries are large, flightless birds of the Australian and New Guinea rainforest facing threats from habitat loss, vehicle strikes, and habitat fragmentation.
Cassowary welfare is primarily threatened by anthropogenic infrastructure in their rainforest habitat. Vehicle strikes cause traumatic fatal and non-fatal injuries — cassowaries crossing roads between forest patches during breeding season face the greatest risk. Cassowaries struck by vehicles require specialist wildlife veterinary care and often do not survive. Tourists who feed cassowaries — however well-intentioned — habituate them to approaching humans, which leads to food-begging aggression toward tourists and subsequent management killing of "dangerous" cassowaries. Dog attacks, particularly on mothers with chicks, cause injuries and leave chicks orphaned and unable to survive. Wildlife corridor infrastructure connecting forest patches allows cassowary movement while reducing road crossing frequency.