horn Posted April 14, 2019 Share Posted April 14, 2019 Florida man killed by large flightless bird he owned 8 hours ago Cassowary birds are described as having "dagger-like" claws A 75-year-old man has been killed in Florida after he was attacked by a large flightless bird he owned. Alachua County Sheriff Department told the BBC they were called to the man's property on Friday and found the man badly wounded by a cassowary. The man, named Marvin Hajos, was taken to hospital by paramedics where he died from his injuries. Police are investigating but say initial information suggests this was a "tragic accident". It happened south of the city of Alachua in northern Florida. "My understanding is that the gentleman was in the vicinity of the bird and at some point fell. When he fell, he was attacked," Deputy Chief Jeff Taylor told the Gainesville Sun newspaper. A woman at the property, who identified herself as Mr Hajos' partner, told the newspaper he had been "doing what he loved". Mr Hajos had kept exotic animals, including llamas, for decades, reports from local newspapers say. Similar in appearance to emus, cassowary are among the largest and heaviest bird species in the world - and can weigh more than 100lb (45kg). The birds can run up to 30 mph (50km/h) and have a five-inch claw on each foot. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission consider cassowary a Class II species, which require a permit for ownership. Police say the bird involved in the incident remains at the property. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47924486 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzy Jan Posted April 14, 2019 Share Posted April 14, 2019 So sad. Poor man, what an awful way to die. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horn Posted April 14, 2019 Author Share Posted April 14, 2019 Was he trying to cook the bird? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KalamazooJay Posted April 14, 2019 Share Posted April 14, 2019 Why was a wild bird like this being ‘raised’ as a pet anyway? Why is this practice even legal? These are wild animals. They belong in the WILD. How many incidents like this need to happen for humans to understand this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanLongoria Posted April 14, 2019 Share Posted April 14, 2019 Cassowaries may be my favorite animal, proof of evolution right there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flip The Switch Posted April 15, 2019 Share Posted April 15, 2019 Didn’t know they were so dangerous! Poor man. RIP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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