HOW ARE THEY PROTECTED?

Conservation organisations like the Mabula Ground-Hornbill Project remove the neglected chicks from nests and rear them by hand. (See “The life of a southern ground-hornbill”.) When the chicks are big enough to look after themselves, they are released into the wild. Conservationists also put up scaffolding in areas where trees have been thinned out so that southern ground-hornbills can build their nests above ground.

HOW CAN I HELP?

When you spot a southern ground-hornbill, let the Mabula Ground-Hornbill Project know. Take a photo, write down the GPS co-ordinates of the location, and visit ground-hornbill.org.za to fill in an online form and upload your photos.