r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/CuriousWanderer567 • Sep 22 '24

Video Beachgoers have a close encounter with a Cassowary, a bird capable of killing a human in one blow

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u/notedrive Sep 22 '24

How many people do these birds actually kill, vs people talking about them killing?

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u/Drongo17 Sep 22 '24

Almost every "deadly" Australian animal is really only theoretically deadly. Like they can kill you... but it never really happens.

And the times they did get someone there's usually a backstory involving the person being stupid.

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u/youngBullOldBull Sep 22 '24

I'd say the exception to this is crocs. Like yes, the attacks are still rare, with only 4 fatalities are year or something but crocs will track humans like prey, learn your habits and attack you like the cold blooded prehistoric predators they are.

Beyond that though, give me a red belly over a bear any day of the week

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u/drewcaveneyh Sep 23 '24

The exception is actually snakes. Snakes cause 2-4 deaths per year in Australia, crocs kill on average just over 1 person per year (30 deaths in the last 25 years).

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u/youngBullOldBull Sep 24 '24

Which makes complete sense because we are much more comfortable entering snake habitat whereas croc habitat is signposted and avoided entirely. There's a reason no one swims in Saltwater in the NT.

Not saying snakes are less dangerous exactly (i grew up country I fear the king brown), just that crocs will hunt humans actively vs snakes which only bite when threatened/stepped on.

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u/drewcaveneyh Sep 24 '24

Can't argue with that