Zoo staffers don’t know whether the bright green eggs are viable and will ultimately hatch into chicks. However, the eggs themselves are a major win, because breeding the birds in captivity is tricky

October 23, 2026 11:42 a.m.

In Australia, southern cassowaries live primarily in the rainforests of Queensland. Joshua Prieto / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images

Finding love isn’t always easy—especially if you’re a southern cassowary , a massive, solitary bird with an aggressive reputation. But conservationists in Australia seem to have cracked the matchmaking code: A female cassowary recently laid two eggs after being paired with a potential mate.

The large, bright green orbs are the first southern cassowary eggs laid at Adelaide Zoo in South Australia in more than three decades—and their arrival is an encouraging bright spot for a species facing an uncertain future.

“This is really exciting news for us because it has been 34 years since we’ve had successful cassowary chicks here at Adelaide Zoo,…