Zoossa.com.au

Taxonomic name: Casuarius casuarius johnsonii Current information
Time since last Acq: 12Y,0M,28D as of report end date Acquisition - Vendor/local Id
Disposition - Recipient/local Id
Identifier type
Note type
Sire Studbook #27 Dam Studbook #28 both wild born at Billabong Sanctuary Arrived from Billabong Sanctuary, Queensland. No i.d. Settling in well, eating fruit well (must be chopped into small amounts) and taking mice and chicks from hand. Limping on R leg yesterday dn today, off food and reluctant to stand today. [[MCJ]] Animal management note First day of introduction of male and female (slide door opened 07/06/99) This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 [[AE ]] Cassowaries still being put together daily, introduction going well. Scatter feeds introduced with little aggression. No mating observed yet This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 Right wattle very necrotic in appearance. Vet checked [[NH ]] Animal management note Introduction proceeding well, female observed sitting with male standing over her. Females wattle healed well (part of it dropped off). This comment added to IDs: 960244, 880279 [[NH ]] Separated from male 880279 due to her aggressive nature. [[AE ]] Did not eat at all during day. Offered 2 day old chicks, late pm. Which she took after a couple of minutes. Did not eat a lot 28.8.99, thought wattle swollen? [[MG ]] Loss of appetite continuing. Vet checked - poss. food poisoning. Ate a few mice. [[AE ]] Featherless on neck and chest, vet checked, to monitor. [[AE ]] Limping L leg at 4.30pm, to monitor. [[NB ]] Animal management note Pre-introduction management: and are being rotated between yards BCS1 and 2 on a weekly basis. Both encouraged to feed in raceway and humpy to extend behavioural acceptance of new situations and for easier stress-free management. This comment added to IDs: 960244 880279 [[NB ]] Animal management note Introduction commenced. Minimal aggression. Separated at night. This comment added to IDs: 960244, 880279 [[NB ]] Animal management note No longer separated at night. [[NB ]] Mating observed by RP. This comment added to IDs: 960244, 880279 [[NB ]] Mating observed by NB. This comment added to IDs: 960244, 880279 [[NB ]] Localised behaviour around rear corner of Northern yard - poss. nest site? This comment added to IDs: 960244, 880279 [[NB ]] Observed mating am. This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 [[JM ]] Observed mating 8.30am. This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 [[JM ]] 1 egg laid in female yard. This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 [[RW ]] 2nd egg laid. very interested in nest. Thi 3rd egg laid in BCS2, moved to nest site in BCS1 This comment added to IDs: 960244, 880279 [[MG ]] 4th egg laid on nest site. This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 [[NB ]] Laid 1 egg in BCS2. Found broken in am. [[NB ]] Eggs removed for hatching in incubator: 3 infertile, 1 possibly fertile. This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 [[RW ]] 4th egg infertile. This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 [[NB ]] 1st introduction for this season- during the day only. This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 [[NB ]] 24 hours access from today after 2 weeks of observations 9.30am-4.30pm. Courtship preliminaries consistent. Zoowatch daily from 11.0.01 from 6.30am-9.30am to observe early morning routine - hopefully mating behaviour. This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 [[NB ]] Zoowatchers observed mating/suspected maitng at 7.30am, for about 20 minutes. This comment added to IDs: 960244, 880279 [[MG ]] Mating observed, unsure if successful. This comment added to IDs: 960244, 880279 [[MG ]] Mating observed this am. Male seems to be getting better at copulating. This comment added to IDs: 960244, 880279 [[MG ]] Mating observed this am - about 20 mins. This comment added to IDs: 960244, 880279 [[MG ]] Housed together for breeding. Have access to BCS1 & BCS2. This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 [[TN ]] Separated o/night, 0.1 960244 showing aggression to keeper in pm. This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 [[TN ]] Male (880279) reluctant to feed near female's side of exhibit. [[TN ]] Booming/display for 30 seconds duration. 1.0 did not react. [[TN ]] Animal management note Shadecloth between & exhibits removed, to allow visual sighting of Animal management note Swapped exhibits-pre-introduction management. This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 [[NB ]] Very quiet & booming. Also angurs well. [[NB ]] Swapped exhibits - pre-introduction management. This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 [[NB ]] Animal management note Gate opened for intro 9.00am. Commenced calm association with mate. Zoowatch is underway from July 22 until August 04, depending on aggression outcomes. This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 [[NB ]] Female chasing/being aggressive towards male, Male has slight injury to upper bill. This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 [[VW ]] Male being severely chased by female. Male ran into fence then cowering in corner. Birds separated. Male visually checked by vet (DM).Male back in BCS1, female in BCS2. This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 [[VW ]] Breeding introduction for this pair cancelled for this year due to aggression from female. This comment added to IDs: 880279, 960244 [[VW ]] Animal management note Due to pair responsiveness, sliding gate has been opened to permit access. Spent quiet day together. Separated o/night [NB] This comment was added to the following specimens: 880279, 960244. Animal management note Sliding door opened to permit access during the day, separated o/night [MG] This comment was added to the following specimens: 880279, 960244. 0.1, 960244 showing slight aggression towards 1.0, 880279, both feeding near each other later. Seperated overnight. [VW] This comment was added to the following specimens: 880279, 960244. Aggressive run at front and back fence for pm feed [AM] Observed coprophagic behaviour - undigested grapes [AM] Observed bird acutely vomiting for around 5-10 mins. vet checked. Suspected cause food gorging. To be monitored [AM] Strange behaviour observed whilst herding flamingos away into humpy in pm. Cassowary running around yard at very fast pace, darting in and out of shrubs etc. Only lasted a minute, then was back to normal [AM] has not eaten so well over last 2 days. Has also been heard sneezing a few times during this period. Monitor [AM] Eating well again. No sneezing either. [AM] Apperared to be highly agitated this am due to construction work nearby. Settled later. [AM] Sitting quietly in corner of exhibit. Unusual as she is usually very active. [AM] Off food lately during treatment of male 880279. [AM] Introduced during breeding sesson during the day watched by Zoo watch. Separated at night. [AM] This comment was added to the following specimens: 880279, 960244. Introduction stopped after 10 days. No matings observed. male appeared to be highly anxious during this period, even though little interaction occurred. female aeting well. [AM] This comment was added to the following specimens: 880279, 960244. Both eating well at present. [AM] This comment was added to the following specimens: 880279, 960244. Observed limping heavily on L leg at midday. OK in am. Seen by Vet pm. Appetite and attitude OK [TC] not limping am. Limping at 3.30 feed . possible sprain [JR] Tx fish with meloxicam to reduce swelling [JR] Commenced on a 7 day course of Metacam injected into a mouse [JR] Hasn't been eating much lately, not even her usual favourites of DOC and fish. Still relishing peanuts, mice and grapes [JR] Limping on L leg this am. L foot looks little swollen. Monitor [BS] No longer limping - seems fine. Appetite is also improving. Not being quite as selective over food items consumed [TC] Appetite has returned and is now consuming about 1/2 bucket of food per day. [JR] Aggressive behaviour returned - tried kicking keeper through fence during am feed [JR] Seems to be eating a little less each day - feeding cut back to 1/2 bucket [JR]. Diff types of browse installed in enclosure for behavioural enrichment on 14/11, and 20/11/06. Zoo watches comducted 14-15/11/06 and 20-21/11/06. [VW] Food intake increased to about 3/4 bucket. [VW] New stumps installed in BCS1 to hide food in . Kept her distance most of the day, but very inquisitiove. Ate food from them at the end of the day [VW] Eating a full bucket of food daily (VW). Food intake decreasing - down to 3/4 bucket daily (VW). Activity pattern recently changed when canna lillies cut down from along fenceline of BCS1 - will now sometimes walk along this fenceline where before would rarely go into BCS1 (VW). Interest in food continuing to drop - now feeding 1/2 bucket (VW). Food intake down to < 1/4 bucket per day - still eager for fish and peanuts, but little interest in fruit (VW). Food intake increasing - up to 1/2 bucket daily (VW). Food intake up to one bucketful per day (VW). Observed sitting in front corner late p.m., head drooping at unusual angle - did not respond to noise or physical contact, could be touched and head moved without any response. Vet-checked. Eventually responded to continuous waving of fish in front of bill - ate slowly; then behaviour returned to normal (VW).
Food intake reducing - now down to 3/4 bucket daily (VW). Recent changes to preferred diet - not eating pears, eating greens including silverbeet stalks; still high interest in fish and peanuts (VW). Food intake down to ~1/4 bucket per day (VW). Enclosure

Source: http://www.zoossa.com.au/__files/f/5432/animal%20record.pdf