“Cassowaries are large, flightless birds related to emus and (more distantly) to ostriches, rheas, and kiwis”, writes Olivia Judson in the September issue of National Geographic magazine. How large? People-size: Adult males stand well over five foot five and top 110 pounds. Females are even taller, and can weigh more than 160 pounds. Dangerous when roused, they’re shy and peaceable when left alone. But even birds this big and tough are prey to habitat loss. The dense New Guinea and Australia rain forests where they live have dwindled. Today cassowaries might number 1,500 to 2,000. And because they help shape those same forests – by moving seeds from one place to another – “if they vanish”, Judson writes, “the structure of the forest would gradually change” too. (Photo by Christian Ziegler/National Geographic)

A Thai devotee in a state of trance screams while holy water is sprayed as thousands race towards the edifice of the founder monk during the annual Tattoo fesitval at Wat Bang Phra on March 7, 2009 in Nakhom Pathom, Thailand. Some men take on the characteristics of sacred animals that have been carved onto their skin. Thousands of believers from all over Thailand come to take part in one of the country's most bizarre festivals about 50 miles outside Bangkok to pay respect to the temple's monks who are master tattooist. In Thai culture the tattoo or Thai word sak yant is worn as a symbol of spiritual and physical protection, many believe that the tattoo have mystical powers. Many tattoo fanatics choose to have monkeys and tigers as well as the Khmer/Cambodia ancient script on their bodies. (Photo Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

A stuntman performs in a car at the “Well of Death” at an exhibition in Srinagar, India, Friday, May 23, 2014. In the Well of Death, stunt drivers on motorbikes and cars drive in circles around the vertical walls of the well-shaped construction. (Photo by Dar Yasin/AP Photo)

Howard Jackson, a Liberian migrant, poses for a portrait in the Andalusian capital of Seville, southern Spain March 7, 2016. Jackson escaped civil war and spent three years crossing Africa before reaching Spain. Dressed up in one of his more than 200 costumes, from Peter Pan to Little Red Riding Hood, he is a well-known figure at an intersection entering the Spanish city of Seville where he has sold tissues to motorists for over a decade. Jackson is studying law and wants to become a judge. (Photo by Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters)

“The Space Launch System, or SLS, is a Shuttle-Derived heavy launch vehicle being designed by NASA, following the cancellation of the Constellation Program, to replace the Space Shuttle after its retirement. The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 envisions the transformation of the Ares I and Ares V vehicle designs into a single launch vehicle usable for both crew and cargo. It is to be upgraded over time with more powerful versions. The proposed SLS is visually similar to the legacy Saturn V booster and in particular the proposed, two-stage, Saturn INT-20”. – Wikipedia

Photo: In this illustration provided by NASA, the design for a new space rocket system, the Space Launch System, is seen. NASA's new rocket design will reportedly cost about $35 billion and be ready to for test launch in 2017. According to NASA, the rocket will be used to carry Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle as well as cargo and science experiments to earth's orbit, as a backup for the space station and possibly destinations beyond that. (Illustration by NASA via Getty Images)

A preparatory model of the Imperial State Crown of India worn in 1911 by King George V stands next to original ledgers dating from 1735 in Garrard's flagship store in Mayfair on April 6, 2011 in London, England. Garrard is the world's oldest jewellers having been founded by George Wickes in 1735 and soon after appointed as goldsmith to the Prince of Wales. For over 160 years Garrard held the title of Crown Jeweller, bestowed by Queen Victoria in 1843, Garrard have served six successive monarchs. They have produced several royal crowns as well as the engagement ring presented to Kate Middleton by Prince William and formerly Princess Diana's engagement ring. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

In this Saturday, April 8, 2017 photo, a keeper walks camels to the Al Marmoom Camel Racetrack, in al-Lisaili about 40 km (25 miles) southeast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Camel racing is a big-money sport and fast thoroughbreds can fetch well over a million dollars. As rising temperatures across Gulf Arab countries signal the end of the winter camel racing season, Dubai is wrapping up its races with the annual Al Marmoom Heritage Festival that has drawn thousands of camels from across the oil-rich Gulf. (Photo by Kamran Jebreili/AP Photo)

The moon illuminates the snow-covered Concordia, the confluence of the Baltoro and Godwin-Austen glaciers, near the world's second highest mountain the K2 (8,000 meters) in the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan September 6, 2014. While other parts of Pakistan and northern India were flooded, Concordia in the Karakoram mountain range was covered with a seasonally unusual amount of snow. Geographically, Pakistan is a climbers paradise. It rivals Nepal for the number of peaks over 7,000 meters and is home to the world's second tallest mountain, K2, as well as four of the world's 14 summits higher than 8,000 meters. (Photo by Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters)