The southern cassowary is a large flightless bird native to the tropical forests of New Guinea and north-eastern Australia. When we visited the Daintree rainforest in Queensland in 2009, we came across these slightly modified signs indicating a "sleeping policeman" (speed bump) ahead. I think it illustrated the threat of speeding vehicles to the endangered cassowary quite well. It may be the third largest living bird, but it's no match for a car.
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| It's not often I think graffiti augments a public service message. |
Unfortunately, we didn't see a live bird in the wild (though we saw a few saltwater crocodiles sunning themselves on the banks of the Daintree River). But there's plenty of opportunity to encounter native wildlife at the Daintree Discovery Centre in nearby Port Douglas.
