Cassowaries have a reputation for being dangerous to people and domestic animals. During World War 2 American and Australian troops stationed in New Guinea were warned to away from them as they can be very dangerous. The inner or second of the three toes is fitted with a long, straight, murderous nail which can sever an arm or eviscerate an abdomen with ease. There are many records of natives being killed by this bird.
There have been many documentation of human death caused by the bird. One was on 6 April 1926 when 16 year old Phillip McClean and his brother, aged 13, came across a cassowary on their property and decided to kill it. The bird kicked the younger brother, who fell and ran away. His older brother then struck the bird, he then tripped and fell to the ground. While he was on the ground the cassowary kicked him in the neck, opening a 1.25 cm wound which may have severed his jugular vein. The boy shortly died of his injuries.
Cassowary strikes to the abdomen are among the rarest of all, but there is one case of a dog that was kicked in the belly in 1995. The blow left no puncture, but there was severe bruising. The dog later died from an apparent intestinal rupture.
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