Daintree Rainforest Camera Traps – August 2021 – accrued 87-cassowary sightings, 26-dingoes and 80-feral pigs. Against the cumulative monthly average, cassowary numbers rose by 22%, dingoes were 23% down and feral-pigs also dropped by 37%. Against August of the preceding year, cassowaries were up 28%, whereas dingoes fell by 30% and feral-pig sightings diminished by 22%.
Image highlights from Camera Traps – August 2021
Camera Traps – August 2021 revealed a large female cassowary (Delilah) making an impression upon 30-year-old male cassowary (Crinkle-Cut) and last year’s sole surviving off-spring (Leo):
Taiga’s three chicks have survived their first month and are growing rapidly …
The chicks have probably doubled in weight within their first month …
… ten days later …
Dingoes continue to keep feral pig numbers down:
More cassowary chicks in the Cooper valley
Since last month’s report, two other male cassowaries that frequent our patch of rainforest, have emerged with three hatchlings each. Scratch – whose territory crosses both Cooper Creek and also Cape Tribulation Road, would most likely have been seen by locals as he is crossing the main road, just south of the Cooper Creek causeway. Scaramanga – so named for his supernumerary wattle – would most likely have been seen by locals as he is crossing the main road at the northern end of the Cooper Flat, just as the road rises and turns inland. Just now, a male cassowary crossed the road between these two places of frequent-sighting, but with only two stripey chicks. So either one of the two males have already lost one of their chicks, or it was another male altogether. Having just run down to Rainforest Village for some supplies, another male cassowary, known to us as Claw – for his menacingly dislocated medial left toe – stepped out onto the Cape Tribulation Road with a tiny new chick.
Since first embarking upon this Camera Trap Project, I have documented 1,424 cassowary sightings, the vast majority of which I am able to recognise individually. Last week we enjoyed the dining company of our dear friend and owner of the magnificent Cockatoo Hill Retreat and it wasn’t long before the discussion turned to cassowaries and out came the images of recent sightings and the sharing of cassowary knowledge. As a rainforest community, our familiarity with the cassowaries that share our habitat and the collection of images and experienced behaviours, in total, would constitute a colossal body of knowledge and insight, if ever it were to be drawn upon.
Daintree Rainforest Foundation Ltd and its Daintree Rainforest Fund have been registered by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission and successfully entered onto the Register of Environmental Organisations. Donations made to the public fund are eligible for a tax deduction under the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.
