Eggs could kick-start revival of rare bird

For the male southern cassowary, getting intimate with the ladies can result in a potentially fatal kick - which might explain why they are now considered a vulnerable species in the wild.

However, thanks to some gentle persuasion - and a lot of patience - by experts at Edinburgh Zoo, there could soon be one or two more of the animals hatching in the Capital.

Staff are anxiously waiting to discover whether several rare cassowary eggs - the first to be laid at the zoo in more than 20 years - are fertile.

The pale green-blue eggs have been placed safely in an incubator, as experts keep a close eye on them to see if any have been fertilised by the male.

They are the first eggs to be laid by the attraction's female cassowary bird - a large flightless species from the tropics of New Guinea and Australia - since the late 1980s, but sadly on that occasion all the eggs turned out to be infertile.

A zoo spokeswoman said: "These eggs are the first laid for a long time by the female cassowary at Edinburgh Zoo, so this is an exciting achievement in itself. Over the last few months we've been attempting to get the male and female together, so there may be a chance these could be fertilised.

"The eggs are now in an incubator and over the next few weeks we should see if all our efforts result in a new addition to the zoo's collection."

Given the dangers of mating, the long wait is not that unusual, with the much larger female able to kill her mate with a single misplaced kick.

Over the last few months keepers had witnessed positive breeding signs from the pair - although initial attempts to get them together resulted in a scuffle, during which the male received a few warning blows.

After that, the keepers slowly tried to get them together, and the two were eventually able to get closer, raising hopes that at least one of the latest eggs could be fertilised.

Colin Oulton, head keeper for birds at Edinburgh Zoo, explained that it was a careful operation.

"The cassowary is a solitary bird and pairs only come together to breed," he said. "The male is immediately disadvantaged due to the female being at least a third larger. The male and female are kept in separate enclosures, and when the keepers observed nesting signs we considered introducing them.

"Since our initial attempt, we have seen some really interesting behaviour, such as booming calling sounds that we've never heard before, suggesting the female may be getting used to the idea of a potential mate."

In the wild the female does not care for the eggs or the chicks, but moves on, leaving the male to incubate the eggs for 50-52 days. And despite having risked life and limb to mate, the male then also has to protect the brown-striped chicks while they stay in the nest for about nine months.

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