General News
29 September, 2025
Rainforest gardeners return to wild
TWO cassowary chicks cared for at the Garners Beach Cassowary Rehabilitation Facility (C4) have been successfully released into Japoon National Park near Tully.
Arthur and Martha, as they were known to volunteers, had been in care since November 2024 after a vehicle collision near Innisfail tragically struck their father. Concerned locals alerted authorities, enabling wildlife rangers to rescue the orphaned chicks. They were just stripeys when they first arrived at the centre.
During the 10 month rehabilitation process volunteers from C4 worked alongside staff from Tropical Vets, the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) to ensure the siblings received the care and nutrition they needed to grow strong and healthy.
With veterinary clearance, the two juveniles were transported to Japoon National Park and released together. Their father, who had also undergone rehabilitation earlier in the year, has since been observed thriving in the Wet Tropics.
“While it wasn’t possible to reunite the chicks with their father due to the time apart, both young cassowaries were ready to begin their journey as independent adults. We hope they will establish their own territories and contribute to the ongoing survival of their species,” said Wildlife ranger Jeffrey Lewis.
Cassowaries play a crucial role in our rainforest ecosystems as “rainforest gardeners,” dispersing seeds from the native fruits they consume across the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Arthur and Martha’s release marks, not only a milestone for their individual journey, but also for cassowary conservation in our region.
“The outcome is a credit to our team of volunteers who assisted the chicks’ development into the sub-adult stage ready for release back into the wild. It was most heartening for everyone involved to see the video of the chicks being released from their transit cages and running out into the forest,” said Peter Trott, a C4 volunteer.
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