Earlier this year, it was reported that the beleaguered Garners Beach Cassowary Facility would have a new operator in Rainforest Reserves Australia.
Speaking to The Guardian at the time, chief executive Carolyn Emms said the organisation had plans to create a second cassowary rehabilitation facility at Lake Barrine on the Atherton tablelands and now it appears these plans are coming to fruition.
Carolyn Emms, chief executive of Rainforest Reserves Australia.
“My husband and I had always intended to turn over high-value conservation land in order to expand Barrine Park Nature Refuge and thereby create the Tablelands Cassowary Rehabilitation Centre,” said Emms. “I’m excited to say the cassowary pens are being completed this week and concrete ponds are to be poured today.”
The southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius), a severely threatened species, has been severely impacted by deforestation, invasive species and vehicle strike. For this reason, Emms and her partner Phil set up Rainforest Reserves Australia as a means of offering protection to injured cassowaries.
“Our policy is that euthanasia is always the very last choice,” said Emms. “By offering rehabilitation facilities, cassowaries gain the perfect opportunity to increase their chances of survival by foraging in a safe environment. The Tablelands centre in particular is designed so that the cassowaries will encounter native wildlife, creeks and springs, without having to deal with introduced threats like dogs, pigs, cars and, perhaps most importantly, humans.”
“They will still need to be visited by a vet on occasion, as well as having a diet that’s supplemented with vitamins to ensure their optimal health.”
Rainforest Reserves Australia, an incorporated non-profit, has not yet gained deductible gift recipient status, but Emms said it has partnered with the Rainforest Trust in order to raise funds.
“Because the Rainforest Trust is tax deductible, money can be raised for our projects via that group. This means we can still achieve our objectives to provide land for reforestation on a large scale.”
The land that the Tablelands Cassowary Rehabilitation Centre rests on is due to receive a total planting of 50,000 native trees, an initiative that’s been undertaken in partnership with North Queensland Land Management Services, Conservation Volunteers Australia and Lake Barrine Conservation Nursery among others.
“Conservationists want on-ground action for both tourism and the conservation of the creeks and rivers leading into the Great Barrier Reef,” said Emms. “Protecting and rehabilitating waterways therefore not only helps the environment in general, but it also allows us to help endangered cassowaries and other wildlife.”
Rainforest Reserves Australia operates the Garners Beach Cassowary Facility in partnership with the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection.