The Kruger National Park (KNP) and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) have been surveying Kruger's southern ground hornbill population and removing some of the chicks as part of a conservation project.
"Like a number of birds the southern ground hornbill lays two eggs each year, but only the first will get the opportunity of leaving the nest", said EWT project coordinator Scott Ronaldson.
Scott's project entails the removal of six second chicks from selected nests per year. The chicks are reared at the Johannesburg Zoo with the aim of releasing them in future as a group into areas they once frequented.
In his attempt to find suitable nests, Scott asked visitors to the park to help locate possible sites. In response to the article in the December issue of the Kruger Park Times, Jaco Swart, a resident of Hoespruit, recorded a group op four birds on their way to a nesting site and sent us this picture.
Jaco and his wife were travelling on the S52 from Bateleur Camp.
If you want to help, please record the location of your hornbill sighting, especially if you have GPS coordinates or kilometres from the nearest road junction, and send this information along with a description of the sighting to scottr@ewt.org.za.
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