“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)

“Thunderstruck”. Summer stom. A super cell formed off the coast of New Zealand, intensified and swept across Christchurch and North Canterbury, February 23, 2014. Photo location: Christchurch, New Zealand. (Photo and caption by David Hardy/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Waura Indians wrestle during this year's “quarup”, a ritual held over several days to honour in death a person of great importance to them, in Xingu National Park, Mato Grosso State, Brazil August 25, 2013. (Photo by Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters)

This handout photo taken on February 12, 2017 and released on February 16 by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) shows Mongolian herder Munkhbat Bazarragchaa (C) dragging two sheep – which recently died due to the weather - to a pile of dead animals behind his “ger” in Khuvsgul province, northern Mongolia. Thousands of Mongolian herders face disastrous livestock losses from dreaded severe weather known as the “dzud”, the Red Cross said on February 16, 2017 in launching an international emergency aid appeal. (Photo by Mirva Helenius/AFP Photo/IFRC)

A man and a dog bathe in a fountain during celebrations of Paratroopers' Day in Moscow' s Gorky Park on August 2, 2017. Russia' s Airborne Troops (Blue Berets) celebrate their professional holiday on the Day of Elijah the Prophet, their Patron. (Photo by Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS)

In this June 1, 2016 photo, Maria Arias stands near her kitchen as she puts on earrings while getting ready for school in Caracas, Venezuela. So many students have fainted from hunger at Maria's school that administrators told parents to keep their children home until they could find more food. (Photo by Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)

People run into the sea at the beach of Scheveningen on New Year's Day, Scheveningen, Netherlands, 01 January 2023. The traditional New Year's dive was resumed after the two previous editions were canceled due to the corona crisis. (Photo by Remko de Waal/EPA/EFE/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

“Himalayan Dog”. This dog just appeared out of nowhere and followed us for an entire week during our trekking trip in the Himalayan outback. He always used to sleep in front of our tent and guarded us in the nights. When I decided to get up at 4 a.m. to climb the next 5000 m peak for sunrise he accompanied me as well. On the top he was sitting for the entire 30 minutes on this place looking straight into the countryside. Photo location: Ladakh, India. (Photo and caption by Sebastian Wahlhuetter/National Geographic Photo Contest)