The cassowary’s last stand
Found only in tropical north Queensland, the cassowary is most frequently sighted in Mission Beach, 140km south of Cairns, where rainforest spills onto 14km of idyllic, tricoloured coastline and the highest density of cassowaries is found. But that’s nothing to brag about.
Sighting a cassowary in Mission Beach might be easy but it’s not because there’s a lot of them left. In fact, the town’s forests may harbour as few as 50 adult birds — nobody knows for sure — and refuge for these endangered creatures is dwindling.
As developers continue to carve up what’s left of available land squeezed between the Coral Sea and the soaring mountain divide to the west, the cassowary’s future looks ever bleaker.
Championing the town’s burgeoning growth is an expansionist local council keen to transform Mission Beach into the adventure capital of Australia: mountain biking trails, sky diving viewing platforms, a controversial yacht marina and more.
Today, there is little natural habitat left for the cassowary to call
