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No Plants
No Animals

A two-metre-tall dinosaur bird roams the rainforests of north-east Queensland looking for its next meal to swallow whole. A meal that keeps itself, rainforests, and us alive.   

With its vivid blue neck, tall helmet and jet-black feathers - the Southern Cassowary is a striking bird. However, it is its remarkable ability to swallow fruit as large as a mango whole (do not try this at home) is its most impressive feature. In episode 3 of our Branch Out podcast, No Plants No Animals, explore the connection between plant and animal survival with a trip to Taronga Zoo! Join Branch Out host, Vanessa Fuchs, Senior Principal Research Scientist, Dr Maurizio Rossetto, and Taronga Zoo Sydney Birdkeeper, Corinne Symons to discover how this endangered rainforest gardener and other mega fauna keep themselves, rainforests, and us alive. 
 

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From left: Dr Maurizio Rossetto (Senior Principal Research Scientist), Vanessa Fuchs (Branch Out host) and Corinne Symons (Taronga Zoo Sydney Birdkeeper) recording episode 3 ‘No Plants No Animals’

Chuck, the male Southern Cassowary at Taronga Zoo Sydney.

Elaeocarpus grandis (Blue Quandong) is a fast growing Australian rainforest tree bearing distinctive blue fruits – a favourite for Southern Cassowaries.

One of the larger fruits belonging to a tree from the same family as the avocado (sometimes known as native walnuts) which are now solely reliant on the Southern Cassowary for dispersal.

A big pile of Southern Cassowary poop! They swallow the fruits of rainforest trees whole, digest the pulp and pass out the seeds unharmed. Each pile can contain up to a kilogram of seeds!