Houston: The 75-year-old owner of a farm in Florida was attacked and killed by a giant flightless bird that is considered one of the world’s most dangerous, US media reported on Monday. Marvin Hajos was killed by a cassowary, a huge bird with long claws on each foot, after he fell in the backyard of his Gainesville, Florida, home on Friday, officials told CNN. Hajos was transported to a hospital, where he died.
The cassowary remains on Hajos’ property as authorities conduct a probe, he said. The owner was a breeder of the rare bird that is native to Australia and New Guinea, Alachua County Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Taylor said. The death was an accident. It appears the man fell, and the cassowary attacked him after the fall, Taylor said. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission considers cassowaries Class II wildlife, meaning they pose a danger to humans and are subject to specific cage requirements. Owners must also have “substantial experience” with the animals.
