A cassowary has attacked and killed its 75-year-old owner after the man fell over on his property in Florida.

The Alachua County Fire Rescue Department told the Gainesville Sun that a cassowary killed the man on Friday on the property near Gainesville, likely using its long claws. The victim was apparently breeding the birds, state wildlife officials said.

“My understanding is that the gentleman was in the vicinity of the bird and at some point fell. When he fell, he was attacked,” Deputy Chief Jeff Taylor told the newspaper.

He said first responders got a call on Friday morning and rushed the man to a hospital for trauma care but he died.

The county sheriff’s office identified the victim as Marvin Hajos, 75.

“Initial information indicates that this was a tragic accident for Mr Hajos,” said Lieutenant Brett Rhodenizer, a sheriff’s office spokesman, in an email to the paper.

“The cassowary involved remains secured on private property at this time,” he said.

Cassowaries are large, flightless birds that are native to Australia and New Guinea similar to emus that stand up to 1.8 metres tall and weigh up to 60 kilograms with black body feathers and bright blue heads and necks. The San Diego Zoo’s website calls cassowaries the world’s most dangerous bird with 10 centimetre, dagger-like claw on each foot.

“The cassowary can slice open any predator or potential threat with a single swift kick. Powerful legs help the cassowary run up to 50km/h through the dense forest underbrush,” the website says.

Cassowaries are eaten in parts of PNG but in the US but are sought after by collectors of exotic birds.

To obtain a mandatory permit, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission requires cassowary owners to have “substantial experience” and meet specific cage requirements, spokeswoman Karen Parker told the newspaper. She said the commission lists the cassowary as a type of wildlife that can “pose a danger to people”.

AP