Editing Cassowary (section)

== Relationship with humans ==
=== Role in Papuan cultures and semi-domestication ===
[[File:Coat of arms of West Papua.svg|thumb|right|200px|The cassowary is featured on the coat of arms of the [[Provinces of Indonesia|Indonesian province]] of [[West Papua (province)|West Papua]]]]
[[File:UvA-BC 300.273 - Siboga - de "scheepsvogel" Piet, een kasuaris, op het erf van de pasanggrahan op Saleyer.jpg|thumbnail|200px|Cassowary held as a pet during the [[Siboga Expedition]] on Indonesia and New Guinea, 1899–1900]]

There is evidence that the cassowary may have been domesticated by humans thousands of years before the chicken. Some New Guinea Highlands societies capture cassowary chicks and raise them as semi-tame poultry, for use in ceremonial gift exchanges and as food.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Katie Hunt|title=World's most dangerous bird raised by humans 18,000 years ago, study suggests|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/27/world/early-humans-raised-cassowary-chicks-scn/index.html|access-date=2021-09-28|website=CNN|date=September 27, 2021 }}</ref>{{sfnp|Bulmer|1967|}} They are the only indigenous Australasian animal known to have been partly domesticated by people prior to European arrival and colonization and by definition, the oldest form of domesticated animal and the largest domesticated bird.<ref>Bourke, R. Michael: History of agriculture in Papua New Guinea in Food and Agriculture in Papua New Guinea, ANU Press, 2009</ref> The Maring people of Kundagai sacrificed cassowaries (''C. bennetti'') in certain rituals.<ref>{{cite book|author=Healey, Chris|url=http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/docs/Memoirs/mem_048/manandahalf034.pdf|title=Man and a Half: Essays in Pacific Anthropology and Ethnobiology in Honour of Ralph Bulmer|date=1991|pages=234–241|chapter=Why is the Cassowary sacrificed|access-date=July 30, 2020|archive-date=September 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928163602/http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/docs/Memoirs/mem_048/manandahalf034.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Kalam people considered themselves related to cassowaries, and did not classify them as birds, but as kin.{{sfnp|Bulmer|1967|}} Consequently, they use the [[Pandanus language|Pandanus register]] of the [[Kalam language]] when eating cassowary meat.<ref name="Majnep">{{cite book |last1=Majnep |first1=Ian Saem |last2=Bulmer |first2=Ralph |author-link2=Ralph Bulmer |others=illustrations by Christopher Healey |pages=150, 152 |title=Birds of my Kalam Country |trans-title=Mn̄mon Yad Kalam Yakt |date=1977 |publisher=Auckland University Press |location=New Zealand |isbn=9780196479538 |language=English |oclc=251862814}}</ref>

Studies on [[Pleistocene]]/early [[Holocene]] cassowary remains in Papua suggest that indigenous people at the time preferred to harvest eggs rather than adults. They seem to have regulated their consumption of these birds, possibly even collecting eggs and rearing young birds as one of the earliest forms of domestication.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Douglass |first1=Kristina |last2=Gaffney |first2=Dylan |last3=Feo |first3=Teresa J. |last4=Bulathsinhala |first4=Priyangi |last5=Mack |first5=Andrew L. |last6=Spitzer |first6=Megan |last7=Summerhayes |first7=Glenn R. |title=Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene sites in the montane forests of New Guinea yield early record of cassowary hunting and egg harvesting |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=5 October 2021 |volume=118 |issue=40 |pages=e2100117118 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2100117118 |pmid=34580213 |pmc=8501781 |bibcode=2021PNAS..11800117D |s2cid=238203829 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

=== Urbanisation of local cassowary population ===

In extremely urbanised areas where cassowaries used to naturally live such as in Queensland, Australia or in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, the local cassowary population had adapted to its less forested grounds. Increasing urbanisation has increased the likelihood of human-cassowary interaction, a potentially dangerous mix.<ref name="RecoveryPlan">{{cite web| title=Recovery plan for the southern cassowary Casuarius casuarius johnsonii| last=Latch| first=Peter| year=2007| publisher=Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts| location=Canberra| pages=23–24| url=https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/sth-cassowary.pdf}}</ref> Although cassowary populations have faced challenges in these urban areas in Northeastern Australia and parts of New Guinea, the cassowaries have proven to be surprisingly quite adaptable in contrast to the [[Kiwi (bird)|kiwis]] of [[New Zealand]], potentially making them the largest urbanised birds in the world. 

It was found that cassowaries in these urban environments changed their diets accordingly, with urbanised cassowaries actually consuming an even greater proportion of fruits from exotic plants (~30%) but still incorporating a significant proportion of fruits from native plants in their diet.<ref name="AustralEcology">{{cite journal| title=The southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii) remains an important disperser of native plants in fragmented rainforest landscapes|author1-last=Campbell | author1-first=Mariana A. |author2-last=Lawton | author2-first=Tom |author3-last=Udyawer| author3-first=Vinay |author4-last=Bell-Anderson| author4-first=Kim S. |author5-last=Westcott| author5-first=David |author6-last=Campbell| author6-first=Hamish A.| year=2023| journal=Austral Ecology|volume=48 |issue=4 |pages=787–802 | location=Australia| doi=10.1111/aec.13309| doi-access=free|bibcode=2023AusEc..48..787C }}</ref> Likewise, as aforementioned, the high concentration of human activity in the urban ecology also equates to a higher concentration of food diversity and food waste, with these 'urbanised' cassowaries foraging for food scraps, bird feeders and outdoor picnic/food venues without fear from humans or domesticated animals due to the birds' size and reputation.<ref name="NationalRecovery"/> 

Due to their omnivorous nature, cassowaries are able to eat all types of human food, including processed ones if interested, although fruit still remains their favourite choosings.<ref name="NationalRecovery"/><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elyUp3jPrqg|title= Cassowary bird tries to steal a woman's lunch|date= 2023  |website= YouTube}}</ref> A 2013 study from post-mortem investigations found that a combination of fruit scarcity and abundancy in human waste saw the diet of the cassowary intaking vast quantities of non-fruit items, this include fungus, carrion, meat, cheese, bones, pasta, chilli and tomato.<ref name=cairns/> The high concentration of human activity as well as vehicles, mixed with domesticated animals and less forest coverage, had also changed their behaviours. These 'city' cassowaries were shown to exist in a higher state of activity and rested less than individuals inhabiting more intact swathes of rainforest, actively moving between urban gardens and the rainforest.<ref name="AustralEcology"/> The study give evidence that these birds showed a surprising amount of flexible foraging strategy that has enabled them to persist in rainforest-fragmented landscapes.<ref name="AustralEcology"/>

=== Attacks ===
Cassowaries have a reputation for being dangerous to people and domestic animals. During [[World War&nbsp;II]], American and Australian troops stationed in New Guinea were warned to steer clear of them. In his 1958 book ''Living Birds of the World'', ornithologist [[Ernest Thomas Gilliard]] wrote:

<blockquote>The inner or second of the three toes is fitted with a long, straight, murderous nail which can sever an arm or eviscerate an abdomen with ease. There are many records of natives being killed by this bird.{{sfnp|Gilliard|1958|p=27}}</blockquote>

This assessment of the danger posed by cassowaries has been repeated in print by authors, including [[Gregory S. Paul]]{{sfnp|Paul|1988|loc=[https://archive.org/details/predatorydinosau00paul/page/364 p. 364], 464}} and [[Jared Diamond]].{{sfnp|Diamond|1997|loc=[https://archive.org/details/gunsgermssteelfa0000diam/page/165 p. 165]}} A 2003 historical study of 221 cassowary attacks showed that 150 had been against humans; 75% of these had been from cassowaries that had been fed by people, 71% of the time the bird had chased or charged the victim, and 15% of the time they kicked. Of the attacks, 73% involved the birds expecting or snatching food, 5% involved defending their natural food sources, 15% involved defending themselves, and 7% involved defending their chicks or eggs. Only one human death was reported among those 150 attacks.{{sfnp|Kofron|1999|}}

The first documented human death caused by a cassowary was on April 6, 1926. In Australia, 16-year-old Phillip McClean and his brother, age 13, came across a cassowary on their property and decided to try to kill it by striking it with clubs. The bird kicked the younger boy, who fell and ran away as his older brother struck the bird. The older McClean then tripped and fell to the ground. While he was on the ground, the cassowary kicked him in the neck, opening a {{convert|1.25|cm|in|2|adj=on}} wound that severed his [[jugular vein]]. The boy died of his injuries shortly thereafter.{{sfnp|Kofron|2003|}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://a-z-animals.com/blog/10-birds-that-cant-fly/|title=10 Birds That Can't Fly|first=Patrick|last=Sather|date=October 13, 2021|website=AZ Animals|access-date=March 28, 2023|archive-date=March 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328130344/https://a-z-animals.com/blog/10-birds-that-cant-fly/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Cassowary strikes to the abdomen are among the rarest of all, but in one case in 1995, a dog was kicked in the belly. The blow left no puncture, but severe bruising occurred. The dog later died from an apparent intestinal rupture.{{sfnp|Kofron|2003|}}

Another human death due to a cassowary was recorded in Florida on April 12, 2019. The bird's owner, a 75-year-old man who had raised the animal, was apparently clawed to death after he fell to the ground.<ref name="HuffPost 04-2019"/><ref>{{cite web | agency = Associated Press  | place = Alachua, Florida, USA | title = Authorities: Large, flightless bird kills its Florida owner | date = April 13, 2019 | work = ABC News | url = https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/large-flightless-bird-kills-florida-owner-62382669 | access-date= 2019-04-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | place = Alachua, Florida, USA | title = Cassowary kills man at farm near Alachua | date = April 13, 2019 | work = The Gainesville Sun| url = https://www.gainesville.com/news/20190413/cassowary-kills-man-at-farm-near-alachua | access-date= 2019-04-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/1a319ca7adc54e7bb45481ac57b8bc74|title=Cassowary, called 'most dangerous bird', attacks and kills Florida man|last1=Hackney|first1=Deanna|last2=McLaughlin|first2=Eliott C.|date=2019-04-15|website=AP News|access-date=2019-04-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/04/14/cassowary-worlds-dangerous-bird-kills-owner-florida/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/04/14/cassowary-worlds-dangerous-bird-kills-owner-florida/ |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Cassowary, world's 'most dangerous bird', kills owner in Florida|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line-->|date=2019-04-14|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2019-04-16|issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal| last1  = Wenzlow | first1  = N. | last2  = Hamilton | first2 = W. F. | date = 2021-02-18 |title  = Cassowary Fatally Attacks Its Owner  |journal = Abstracts of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences Meeting |location=Houston, Texas | pages  = 590 (H 65)  | quote = Normally ... he would hold a 'shock stick' and had a second person with him. On that day ... he was alone and had entered the pen to retrieve one of the female’s eggs. During the attack, the victim had fallen to the ground and the attack continued for an unknown period of time. The owner was able to call for help and his outcries alerted his wife, who entered the enclosure with a 'stun gun' to repel the female cassowary. By the time the victim was pulled to safety, he had sustained numerous injuries and had lost a substantial amount of blood. He was rushed to the hospital. ... The patient did not survive his injuries.}}</ref>