Man killed by cassowary may have tried to get the bird's egg

An Alachua man who was killed by a cassowary bird Friday may have been trying to get an egg, deputies said.

Marvin Hajos, 75, died from his injuries Friday after he was attacked by at least one of his two cassowaries in Alachua County.

The species is considered the world’s most dangerous bird, according to the San Diego Zoo.

While the exact sequence of events is unknown, Hajos is believed to have gone inside the pen to get an egg from the birds and was then attacked, said Lt. Brett Rhodenizer, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson.

Hajos was able to get out of the enclosure and call 911 himself, Rhodenizer said.

“In considering livestock, we have farmers and ranchers in our community that can be and are hurt in working with other large animals,” Rhodenizer said. “While this is a fatal injury, and a tragic injury, for the man and his family, there are risks associated with interactions with large animals.”

Hajos was taken to UF Health Shands Hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Cassowaries are flightless birds native to Australia and New Guinea.

They can grow up to 6 feet tall. They have black body feathers and an at least 4-inch-long claw on each foot.

Cassowaries are classified as class II wildlife, meaning experience and cage requirements must be met in order to possess the birds, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website.

FILE - In this June 30, 2015, file photo, an endangered cassowary roams in the Daintree National Forest, Australia. On Friday, April 12, 2019, a cassowary, a large, flightless bird native to Australia and New Guinea, killed its owner when it attacked him after he fell on his property near Gainesville, Fla. Cassowaries are similar to emus and stand up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall and weigh up to 130 pounds (59 kilograms). (AP Photo/Wilson Ring, File)