Daddy Papersurfer

A few years ago the TG and I visited a small zoo, just outside Figueira da Foz in Portugal.
I don’t really like zoos, but this was quite nice – plenty of space for most of the animals, and a large proportion of the inhabitants was bird life – flying around and swimming on ponds. Lovely.

We followed the track through the zoo down into a valley until we came to across a heavily fenced area. Here there was a small notice explaining that a cassowary lived in the enclosure, and warning the public not to get too near the fence. Looking up we got our first glimpse of the creature, which previously we’d never heard of. Six feet tall. It came slowly towards us.

“Interesting” said I, peering through the fence to have a closer look. (Does he ever listen? Lo,TG Ed)

It stared at me with the sort of vacant expression I have experienced with some of the kids I used to teach – an empty vessel with no idea of how to fill itself.

Without warning, wobbling it’s wattle, it launched itself into an attack. Using the huge, solid bone outcrop on the top of it’s skull, which it carries as a head-banging offensive weapon , it made strenuous efforts to break through the fence and get at me – truly scary – a bit like a skinhead who’d had a really bad day.

We backed off sharpish, and decided to head home. Just around the corner was another enclosure and another notice, this one describing the  5″/8cm claws the cassowary uses to kill anything it takes a dislike to. The gate was OPEN………

It was beginning to feel like a scene from Jurassic Park.

We proceeded as quickly as possible, looking around the whole time. Naturally I made sure that the TG was ahead of me – she has a way with animals. (There’s an opportunity there but I’ll ignore it for once. Too easy. Lo,TG Ed)

Luckily there was no sign of another bird, and we worked out that the inmate must have been moved somewhere else …….. probably.

The programme about cassowaries on BBC2 last night, which I watched with interest, brought it all back…….

.