Cassowary Lays Rare Bright Green Egg At Australian Zoo For First Time Since 1992

Keepers at an Australian zoo are celebrating a major milestone after welcoming their first cassowary egg in over three decades. According to details shared by the official website of the zoo, the bright, neon-green egg was laid by Martina, a 10-year-old female Southern cassowary, alongside a 13-year-old male named Jeffrey. Zookeepers say it marks the first time cassowary eggs have been produced at the facility since 1992, ending a long 34-year wait.

Apart from its rare appearance, the egg stood out because of its striking, fluorescent green colour. According to the experts, the unusual shade comes from biliverdin, a natural pigment commonly found in bird eggshells.

In the wild, this vibrant colour serves a practical purpose for survival. Because cassowaries build their nests on the forest floor, the bright green colour acts as camouflage, helping the eggs blend into the surroundings and stay hidden from hungry predators.

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Erin, Team Supervisor Birds and Free Flight, said that the team was thrilled after discovering the egg. "This is really exciting news for us because it has been 34 years since we've had successful cassowary chicks here at Adelaide Zoo, so the team and myself included are very excited," Erin said, as quoted by the zoo website.

"Martina and Jeffrey have only been paired since August this year, and this is the first time they've ever been put together."

Native to the dense rainforests of Australia and nearby regions, cassowaries are massive, flightless birds often called some of the closest living relatives to dinosaurs.

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Interestingly, once the eggs are laid, the mother leaves the duties behind, letting the father take over incubation and chick-rearing responsibilities entirely.

The website added that the Southern Cassowaries are generally solitary birds and can be aggressive towards one another outside breeding season.

Hence, it was extremely difficult for the team to monitor the pair before deciding the time was right for an introduction.

The zoo officials further noted that the breeding recommendation came through the managed programme for the species. After that, the keepers closely watched Martina and Jeffrey.

"We were really watching their behaviours to make sure that we paired them at the right time," Erin said.

"We were looking for things like vocalisations - a low rumble or boom call - and whether they were more tolerant of eating near each other.

"We removed parts of the shade cloth between them and put their food alongside each other at the fence line so we could watch how comfortable they were around one another."