I recently realized that there are a ton of animals on God’s earth that I know almost nothing about while visiting a safari park. In addition, there are countless species that I am not even aware of. I didn’t start to think about how little most of us actually know about the creatures we share this planet with until I stopped and gave that idea some thought.
Included in this are the audacious, brilliant, and genuinely terrifying. There is a certain fascination in finding out about new animals, their lives, mating habits, how they evolved to act as they do now, and everything in between, whether they are mammals, reptiles, fish, or birds. I’ll be the first to admit that I was unaware of the Cassowary bird, also referred to as the most dangerous bird in the world. They can weigh 180 lbs and have razor-sharp claws that can cause fatal wounds. They are found in the forests of New Guinea, the Aru Islands, and northeastern Australia.
Even though I don’t know much about them, a quick Google search tells me more than enough to rule out the possibility of getting one as a pet. I have no doubt that many of our readers would agree with that.
Some people do, however, it seems.
Image courtesy of Getty Images and Steve Christo of Corbis. One such individual was Marvin Hajos, a 75-year-old resident of Florida. He was an expert on cassowaries, an animal lover and activist, and he kept two breeding pairs as pets. But one day, Hajos frantically dialed 911 to report that he was in critical condition. Even reading the call’s transcript makes my blood chill.
According to rumors, Marvin showed an early interest in birds. At one point, he developed a fascination with cassowaries, widely regarded as the most dangerous bird in the world. He had previously worked with birds at the Bronx Zoo as a young boy. Marvin developed into an authority on them over the course of his life and lectured on them at various colleges across the US. And he had a permit that allowed him to raise two breeding pairs of the flightless birds on his land in Alachua, Florida.
Credit: YouTube / FOX 35 OrlandoFOX 35 Orlando As mentioned, Marvin knew a ton about cassowaries and was aware of the risks involved with being near them. He was nevertheless attacked and fatally hurt one day by one of the birds he cared for. According to reports, authorities believe Marvin made a fatal error that caused his death in 2019.
As reported by Fox 35, “He was attending to them when he was attacked. The males usually try to smash the eggs laid recently by one of the females. The eggs may have been attempted to be retrieved and placed in an incubator by Hajos prior to the assault. Hajos was able to call 911 after the assault and explain to the operator that he was ‘bleeding to death’. Sadly, Hajos passed away from his wounds at UF Health Shands Hospital after being taken there.
According to Deputy Chief Jeff Taylor of the Alachua County Fire Rescue, “It appears to have been an accident. My understanding is that the man was close to the bird when he eventually fell. He was attacked as soon as he fell. ”.
Marvin Hajos, please go in peace. READ ON.
