Welcome to Schnibble the Hornbill

Last week we received a phone call from the Hua Hin Kasetsart Animal Hospital about an injured female Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris). The poor bird had been ‘found’ by a domestic dog who brought it to the home of his owners. The bird could not fly properly so was taken to the closest animal hospital. The WFFT Rescue team went to collect the hornbill and bring her to the WFFT Wildlife Rescue Centre for further treatment and rehabilitation. After a health check, it appears that Schnibble has an old fracture on her left wing that never properly healed, so she has been left with a deformed wing. This is why her flying skills are not so great, and a probable reason for the dog being able to capture her. For now, she is under the observation of the WFFT Vet Team, and who knows we may be able to fix her wing and get her back to the wild. Updates will follow.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species currently lists this species as Least Concern (LC). In the Thai-Malay Peninsula, the species is threatened by off-take for the trade in fledglings as pets and forest clearance. WFFT has recently heard reports of trained macaque monkeys being used to locate nests of wild hornbills, aiding hunters in the poaching of these majestic birds. The casques of Hornbills are common souvenirs in the markets throughout South-east Asia.