With more precious horns than ivory, the ancient bird was at risk of extinction

As a new victim of illegal trafficking, the ancient red-faced sandbill bird is at risk of extinction.

Over the past five years, the demand for red horns, the Southeast Asian bird species, has exploded. Products from the horns of this bird are sold for five times the price of ivory. They are hunted aggressively on the black market, and Hong Kong plays an important role in the tragedy of waiting for the sand-hat queen.

Sand-horned Hornbill.(Photo: Zing.)

Sand-horned Hornbill live in tropical forests in Indonesia, Malaysia, southern Thailand and the southernmost of Myanmar. This is a large bird, with bare skin around the neck (blue in females, cherry red in males), black and white tail feathers stand out. Their resounding cries used to be a familiar sound in the rainforest.

The horn of this bird is the cause of its hunt. The red horn section extends from the upper part of the beak to the skull, thought to develop from its hourly combat routine. The use of sand-horn horn horns has been around for over 2,000 years. People in Borneo used this material to make decorations. When trade between Borneo and China began around 700, the department also proved its international value. Records show that hornbill horns are sent as tribute to Tang and Ming dynasties and continue to be popularly used in subsequent centuries.

The head and horn of the hornbill are sold at exorbitant prices.(Photo: Zing.)

A product made from sand-horned horn horns. The demand for sand-horn horn horns began to subside in the early 20th century, and stopped completely in the 1950s. Craftsmanship was eroded and birds were free to grow in their homeland. But by 2012, warning signs appeared. Conservationists found that only in 2013, 6,000 birds were shot dead for horns in West Borneo.

Art horn hornhead carved art.(Photo: ANTG.)

In addition, from 2012 to 2014, there were 1,100 scarlet sand mines confiscated from smugglers only in Indonesia's West Kalimantan province. This species anthropologist, Yokyok Hadiprakarsa, judged that about 6,000 birds were killed each year in Southeast Asia.

In 2015, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has put sand-horned Hornbills on an almost extinct level. Great demand for this precious material comes from China. The arrests of sand-horn horn horn products are increasing in China. Chinese citizens often travel to Indonesia to make trade easier, and Hong Kong is a key transit point.

Yokyok Hadiprakarsa warns: ' If no one is paying attention, this bird will be available tomorrow .' The bird is of high cultural value for thousands of years because it is judged to be the "fortunes" for the Kalimantan and the Dayak on Borneo, believing that the bird transports dead souls to the world. the other side. They regard birds as sacred messengers of God and teachers of faithful faith in marriage. Therefore, killing sandy hornbill is taboo.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), this bird 'is being classified as threatened and needs to be carefully monitored to avoid future decline in birds' . The International Convention on the Endangered Species Trade (CITES) regulates the illegal trading of any part of these birds. The Environmental Investigation Agency, a London-based nonprofit organization, said social networking sites like Facebook are making it easier to share information and buy birds online. Hornbill sand mine.