FRIENDLY PECK: Animal keeper Mahdzar Julaihi who is very optimistic on the future of hornbills is given a kiss by a Wreathed Hornbill named Ajun, kept in captivity at Taman Tumbina Bintulu.
KUCHING: A large habitat with plenty of food and big trees are a necessity for hornbills to nest to maintain a viable population of birds in the state.
Yeap Chin Aik
According to head of Conservation Division of Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Yeap Chin Aik, there is a great future for hornbills, especially the bigger species in the like of helmeted and rhinocerous hornbills, provided there are large areas for them to nest.
“These kinds of hornbills need large areas there and Sarawak Totally Protected Areas (TPA) is ideal and the first step,” he said when met at the just concluded Sarawak Hornbill workshop on Thursday in Bintulu.
“The next step is harder as we need nesting sites and to identify its feeding area,” he added.
Yeap was amazed to know there are eight species of hornbills in Tanjung Datu National Park as compared to biggest TPA like Mulu National Park and Lanyak Entimau National Park in Lubok Antu region.
He was puzzled as to why Tanjung Datu had so many species identified and he questioned whether it was the hornbill’s breeding ground.
Hornbills are territorial when breeding as they like to defend their territory and if not they flock together to look for food.
Yeap, who was optimistic on the hornbill’s future called for more people to be interested in wildlife and become experts especially for birds like hornbills.
“Malaysia do not have many wild life experts, let alone hornbill experts simply because it is not easy to work with wildlife, he lamented.
He, however, pointed out that if we need to invest in mammals or any other conservation we must have locals in mind, regardless of the resources including finance and experts, because it will make a difference.
“Because in years to come and when we reflect on what we have done we can be proud of what we have achieved,” he said.
Yeap was happy that more people were concerned about wildlife as compared to 10 years ago.
He agreed that in the case of hornbills it was not easy to have them in sight even though it is a large bird.
“In the thick forest it is even more difficult to find them, especially when they are nesting as they keep quiet, he added.
Yeap praised Sarawakians for calling their state ‘Land of the Hornbills’ and the perception was hornbills are only found here.
“The Sarawak government has done a good job in advertising this to the outside world and I take my hat off to The Sarawak Tourism Board for doing a good job,” he enthused.
He also disclosed that hornbills are also found in Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia and the awareness of its existence were due to media coverage, magazines and web portals.