Gladys Porter Zoo Holds 'Most Dangerous Bird'
BROWNSVILLE - The exotic bird that killed the 75-year-old man in Florida is also featured at a Rio Grande Valley zoo.
Police in Florida are investigating what the cassowary was being bred for and how the man raising it was killed.
CHANNEL 5 NEWS spoke to a Gladys Porter zookeeper about how they’re keeping guests safe.
The first rule for zookeepers around the double-wattled cassowary is never to step inside the same pen as the bird.
After years of working with these birds, associate curator Natalie Lindholm knows to always be watching out for them and keeping an eye on guests.
“They all display that kind of, they’ll give you the eye, and that kick up against the fence,” says Lindholm.
She says they warn visitors not to reach down or get too close.
For more information watch the video above.
Watch Christian von Preysing's online tease below to hear the cassowary's "infrasound vocalization". It's a special way some animals talk, which travels long distances.