Towering birds meet for the first time as love blooms

TWO prehistoric birds have met each other at Paignton Zoo in a bid to foster a romance between the pair.

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The enormous southern cassowaries were successfully introduced on Tuesday, May 20, in what could be the start of a love story.

The birds - Madrid, a 16-year-old male, and Twiggy, an 11-year-old female - have finally met face-to-face after years of living as neighbours in adjacent enclosures.

It's hoped the introduction may lead to the pair beginning a breeding relationship to produce cassowary chicks.

The impressive birds, which are two metres tall and can sprint at more than 30mph, have dagger-like claws and brilliant blue necks.

With their distinctive helmet-like casques, cassowaries are often described as the “world’s most dangerous birds”.