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Photo courtesy of the Hornbill Family Adoption Program
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The hornbill requires large areas of intact forest to survive,
so the status of the hornbill population is in many ways a key
indicator of the overall health of the tropical forest.
Unfortunately, the hornbill population has decreased severely
and many species are now endangered following the destruction
of their habitats. These birds also face the threat of local
people stealing hornbill babies from their nests to sell into
the pet trade. Villagers around Budo-Sungai Padi National Park
earn their living working as hired hands in rubber and fruit
orchards. Their incomes are extremely low and they hunt the babies
of wild animals for sale to gain extra money. Even though hornbill
chicks are available only once a year, they yield a high price,
anywhere from 15,000-30,000 baht ($350-700 USD). The practice
of stealing and selling the chicks is widespread and negatively
affects hornbill populations.
The Hornbill Research Foundation, in existence since 1978,
tries to stop hornbill smuggling by turning hunters into hornbill
protectors. To do this, the Foundation has made local people
part of the hornbill conservation program, hiring them to guard
the nests from further stealing and to help researchers collect
information about the birds. This provides villagers with some
income as compensation and an incentive not to return to selling
baby hornbills. Villagers can also help expand the research and
help protect the hornbills under their care.
Local villagers know the forest terrain thoroughly, which is
especially important because some of the study areas are still
not totally safe from terrorist threat. Villagers also have knowledge
of the whereabouts of the hornbills' nests as well as the birds'
mating season and their behavior and diet. Researchers have taught
the villagers how to observe the birds so that they aren't seen,
and also how to collect the needed information.
At present, the project covers 84 nests of seven species; the
Rhinoceros Hornbill, Great hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Helmeted
Hornbill, White-crowned Hornbill, Black Hornbill and Wrinkled
Hornbill. They are watched over by 20 people from eight villages.
The Hornbill Research Foundation has started the Hornbill Family
Adoption Project to raise funds from the public to provide income
for villagers to encourage continued efforts to conserve hornbills.
This project allows local villagers to help secure long-term
hornbill populations in the area.
The Minnesota Zoo’s Ulysses S. Seal Conservation Grant Program awarded
the Hornbill Family Adoption Project $600 which is sufficient
to adopt five hornbill nests in 2003 and again in 2004. By adopting
one of Thailand's many species of hornbill, we are helping save
these endangered birds from extinction.
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