The cassowary is a flightless bird like ostriches and emus to which it is closely related. Of the three known species, only the helm cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) lives in the Moluccas, East Indonesia.

The helmet cassowary, kasuari in Indonesian and kudari in the Aru language, is very discreet and rarely seen. It is named after the beautiful helmet adorning his head. It can weigh up to 100kg and measure 1.50m. It has sharp claws and can prove dangerous if cornered. It mainly feeds on fruits found on the ground during his wanderings.

According to an Arunese legend, there was a time when the cassowary flew, although awkwardly. Its size and weight made him break many branches garnished with fruits. One day, on the ground, a much smaller and flightless bird called gaku (Helmeted Friarbird, Philemon buceroides) complained about the tree debris, which kept falling on his head. The cassowary told him then "Let's swap roles. You take my wings and fly, you're smaller and lighter, but you will have to make fruits fall on the ground for me, so I can feed." The gaku accepted and since then, cassowaries roam the forest to find food.

As tireless wanderers of Indonesia, we chose this bird as an emblem, both for its beauty and rarity. With us, you will discover this vast and fascinating country along unusual paths, perhaps more time-consuming, but dotted with unique splendours; paths, which, moreover, have rarely seen foreign travellers…