THE 'world's deadliest chick' a rare southern cassowary has been filmed eating its favourite food in the latest update from a Cotswold attraction.

The chick, the only one born in the UK this year, hatched at Birdland in Bourton for the first time after 25 years of trying.

The birds, native to Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, are extremely rare and known as one of the most dangerous birds in the world to due their size, speed and power combined with 10cm dagger-like claws. 

Southern cassowaries are currently endangered and the chick's favourite food has been revealed. 

The birds are lone creatures and so can only be put together during mating season. 

Keeper Alistair Keen said: "This year we have celebrated the first ever hatching of a cassowary here at Birdland in 25 years of trying and here's dad with the chick right now who is about seven weeks old and looking really really good. 

"Mum is in the background just there. 

"They are solitary birds so we do split them off when they are not trying to nest and she will play no role in incubating the eggs or looking after the chicks. 

"So dad was incubating four eggs for us this year and like I say we have hatched one which we are more than happy with. 

"The chick is active, it's feeding itself pretty much from the get go. 

"Dad will be sort of following it around defending it from any threats, any predators hanging around and he sort of encourages the chick to feed. 

"I've seen him catch a dragonfly and feed it to the chick recently. 

"At the moment we are feeding the chick on lots of finely chopped fruit and steamed vegetables. 

"It's getting some boiled egg, it's getting some live food. 

"It likes some pinkie mice and as I say we are very fortunate here that we've got the river running right past the enclosure, so lots of native wildlife here for it to find and prey on."

The chick currently remains nameless as keepers are yet to get hands-on and have not sexed the world's deadliest chick.