- CASSOWARY
(Casuarius casaurius)
The Cassowary is a
large flightless bird that has powerful
legs that it will use to defend itself or its young. They
have caused human fatalities. If encountered, stand still - their
eyesight is poor. If the bird acts aggressively, attempt to look as
large as possible by raising your arms overhead holding a camera hat or
bag. DO NOT RUN. In some areas, birds have been fed and associate
people with food. Please don't encourage this
practice. They are a wild animal and should be treated as such.
FERAL PIGS
Pigs are not a native
animal but have become firmly established in wild populations. Their
activities cause considerable impact on national parks. Trapping helps
control their numbers. Feral pigs are rarely seen but are potentially
very dangerous. If you encounter one, hide behind any available cover or
climb out of reach if necessary. Ensure you remove all your rubbish from
the national park. Burying the rubbish will not help as pigs will root
out buried rubbish.
Far North Qld has many snakes including
some of the worlds most venomous. Provided commonsense is exercised, the
snakes should not pose a problem. Almost all bites are related to a
snake being trodden on or interfered with. Snakes are seen regularly in
winter in the Far North. They lie in open sunny areas to warm up. In
summer, they are active and usually avoid human contact.