A cyclist riding along Valburgseweg in the Netherlands came face to face with a cassowary that had escaped from a private zoo and was wandering outside its enclosure. The incident, reported by Paws4Care on November 8, drew an emergency response in which, according to Dutch reports, a single police vehicle at the estate was later joined by eight police cars and vans when the cyclist passed the location again about an hour afterwards.

Officers called in a specialist veterinarian, who used a tranquilliser dart to sedate the giant flightless bird. Once it had been subdued, the cassowary was captured and returned to its enclosure, and inspectors from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) subsequently checked the animal enclosures at the property.S1S2

Cassowaries, though they resemble oversized, brightly coloured turkeys, are considered highly dangerous. The southern cassowary can grow to almost two metres tall and has a long, dagger-like claw on its inner toe measuring up to 12 centimetres. Guinness World Records lists the species among the world's most dangerous birds. Native to the tropical rainforests of New Guinea, Indonesia and north-eastern Australia, the birds are generally solitary and avoid humans, but when cornered or frightened they can deliver powerful kicks capable of causing severe wounds. In 2019, a Florida man died after being attacked by a cassowary he kept on his property.S1S2

The escape has also renewed attention on the private collection's history with authorities. In March 2024, police and animal welfare inspectors seized several exotic animals from the same property, including two white-backed vultures, three Chilean flamingos, two black panther cubs and two caracals, after the owner could not provide sufficient documentation proving their legal origin. Legal proceedings relating to those earlier seizures were still ongoing, according to the reports.S1S2