The "world’s most dangerous bird" attacked and killed a man in the backyard of his Alachua County home.
On Friday at about 10 a.m., paramedics responded to a 911 call and found Marvin Hajos, 75, of Alachua County, attacked by his cassowary, Jeff Taylor, the Alachua County Fire Rescue Deputy Chief, wrote in an email.
Paramedics brought Hajos to a hospital where he died from his injuries, Taylor said.
Cassowaries are large, flightless birds that can grow up to 6 feet tall and have a claw on each foot that can grow up to 4 inches long. The San Diego Zoo refers to the species as the world's most dangerous bird.
Hajos owned the property and the two birds, but it is not clear if both birds were involved in the attack.
Taylor said it appeared Hajos was injured after falling in a path near the birds’ enclosure. At least one of the birds attacked him.
The birds are secured on private property at this time, said Lt. Brett Rhodenizer, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson. This is the first time an attack like this has happened since he has been with the sheriff’s office.
“The investigation is still on-going as we work to confirm that this was just an unfortunate accident,” Rhodenizer said.
FILE - In this June 30, 2015, file photo, an endangered cassowary roams in the Daintree National Forest, Australia. On Friday, April 12, 2019, a cassowary, a large, flightless bird native to Australia and New Guinea, killed its owner when it attacked him after he fell on his property near Gainesville, Fla. Cassowaries are similar to emus and stand up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall and weigh up to 130 pounds (59 kilograms). (AP Photo/Wilson Ring, File)
