Cassowary has searched for partner in Pakistani zoo for 50 years

Finding a suitable partner is not easy. Moreover, if you are a rare flightless bird and you are trapped in a zoo in Pakistan, it is entirely hopeless. For fifty years, a cassowary, an endangered bird species, has been living alone in the zoo of Lahore. The management has given up the search for a suitable partner.

Cassowaries are a group of large ratites from the tropical rainforests of New Guinea and Australia. They are related to the emu and distant family of the ostrich.

Cassowaries are considered the most dangerous birds in the world. They grow up to 1.70 meters and weigh about 45 kilograms. Their most dangerous feature is the claws: they have three toes, the middle of which is used as a dagger.

The cassowary in Lahore (in eastern Pakistan; ed.) has been in the zoo since 1971. Director Chaudhry Shafqat Ali has given up the search for a suitable partner.

“He is the only one in Pakistan. We have been looking for a partner for years, but in vain”, it sounds. “In addition, he is old and has passed the breeding age,” added veterinarian Rizawan Khan.

The Rare flightless birds are solitary. They only meet during the breeding season. As soon as the eggs are laid, the male birds raise the chicks.

Lahore zoo is closed due to the corona crisis. In standard times, about 3.5 million people visit the zoo every year.