WHILE the uMgeni River Bird Park has done much to help educate people about birds around the world, they have also had a positive impact on trying to help save the southern ground hornbill.
The bird park has given 11 ground hornbill chicks to be released back into the wild to the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project, an NPO determined to save the majestic birds from extinction.
Owing to large scale clearing of the bird’s specialised habitat, along with its slow reproductive rate, the southern ground hornbill is classed as vulnerable and is listed as endangered in South Africa.
Northglen News recently caught up with Grant Aggett-Cox, the park’s education manager to chat about the ground birds.
WATCH-Solo steals the hearts of bird park staff
“There are an estimated 1500 individuals who live within the country and they are 10 times more endangered than the white rhino. Their numbers have never been particularly high, their breeding success in the wild is not great.On average a pair will only raise a chick successfully to adulthood every nine years. With little natural breeding success rate and the destruction of their habitat, due to population expansion, their numbers have plummeted,” he explained.
There are six southern ground hornbills at the bird park, two involved in the park’s show to drive home the message of conservation and four birds split into two breeding pairs.
“While their numbers have decreased, efforts to conserve the species are being undertaken by various conservation projects. One of them is the Mabula Ground-Hornbill Project that has been running since 1999 within the Mabula Game Reserve. They often hand rear chicks by making artificial wild nest before reintroducing the birds back into the wild to bolster their numbers,” he said.
If you would like to get involved or help support the project, visit www.ground-hornbill.org.za.
Bird park welcomes new blue crane arrivals
For more news follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follows us Instagram
