This picture taken on February 16, 2017 in Fangshan village in China's coastal province Fujians, shows a villager performing the “eating flowers” ritual. Villagers in eastern China have a unique way of washing away the taint of evil spirits – by bathing in a shower of scorching sparks. (Photo by Johannes Eisele/AFP Photo)

Filipino beauty candidates hide from the sun before a group photo during the media presentation of the Miss Philippines Earth 2017 held at a hotel in Manila, Philippines, 05 July 2017. A total of 40 environmentally aware and concerned Filipino young ladies will compete to represent the Philippines at the Miss Earth beauty pageant. Miss Earth is a pioneering beauty pageant that serves as a vehicle for environmental advocacy. (Photo by Mark R. Cristino/EPA)

“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)

Pedestrians look at “doll” model Lulu Hashimoto standing on the street during a photo opportunity for Reuters in Tokyo, Japan August 23, 2017. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

Contorsionist Rich Miteku performs during the opening of the 41st Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival in Monaco on January 19, 2017. (Photo by Valery Hache/AFP Photo)

US President Donald Trump' s daughter and senior White House adviser Ivanka Trump (2nd R) poses for a photo on a balcony of the VIP tent at the Olympic sliding centre with US army luge athletes Taylor Morris (L) and Matt Mortensen (2nd L), and US women’s bobsleigh silver medallist Lauren Gibbs (R) before the ski jump tower at the men' s four- man bobsleigh event of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic games in Pyeongchang on February 25, 2018. (Photo by Eric Gaillard/Reuters)

Model Bella Hadid falls as she walks the runway at the Michael Kors Spring 2017 Runway Show duing New York Fasion Week at Spring Studios on September 14, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Rex Features)

One of the worlds shortest models Mary Russell at 4 feet 1 inch with 6 foot model Georgia Meacham in London, UK on June 16, 2016. The 4ft1 beauty suffers with achondroplasia a medical term for dwarfism, which means she has as average sized torso but short arms and short legs, with an oversized head. As well as stifled growth, Mary also suffers with sciatica and spinal stenosis, an abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal – which cause agonising nerve problems, leaving her in excruciating pain and unable to stand for long periods of time. The condition leaves Mary, 47, struggling with everyday tasks things most people take for granted like going to the supermarket, getting cash from an ATM and ordering a drink at a bar become a challenge. (Photo by Simon Jacobs/Caters News Agency)