Pets

Endangered great hornbill rescued, treated for serious injuries in Thailand

Nakhon Pathom, Apr 24 (EFE / EPA) .-A female great hornbill (Buceros bicornis) is undergoing medical treatment at an endangered species conservation center in Nakhon Prathom, about 50 kilometers west of Bagkok, after the bird lost lower part of its beak when it was shot by a poacher.Veterinarians at the Kasetsart University Veterinary Teaching Hospital believe she was shot on by a poacher before being rescued from the rainforest with several serious injuries to her beak and left wing, leaving her unable to fly. According to veterinarian Patcharida Dittawong, the hospital will make her an artificial beak so that she can eat on her own and it is highly likely that the bird will be able to fly again."We put anti-inflammatory and antibiotic medicines inside these bananas for her to eat because she has pressure injuries on her ankles. As she could not support herself with the wngs and therefore could stand on a tree branch, the bird needs to stand on the floor and that puts a lot of pressure on the legs (which led to these injuries),"added the veterinarian.Great hornbills are native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia, and according to media their habitat is lost at a rate of 2,500 hectares per year.At least 13 of the world's known 57 species of hornbill live in Thailand; the colorful birds are endangered due to habitat loss and poaching, as their unique casques (sometimes known as 'red ivory') are a coveted item on the illegal market.(Camera: RUNGROJ YONGRIT)SHOTLIST: VETERINARIANS TREAT THE INJURIES OF A FEMALE GREAT HORNBILL (BUCEROS BICORNIS) WHO LOST THE LOWER PART OF HER BEAK AT THE KASETSART UNIVERSITY VETERINARY TEACHING HOSPITAL IN NAKHON PATHOM PROVINCE, THAILAND.SOUNDBITES: PATCHARIDA DITTAWONG, VETERINARIAN IN CHARGE OF THE TREATMENT OF THE INJURED GREAT HORNBILL (IN THAI).TRANSLATIONS: We put anti-inflammatory and antibiotic medicines inside these bananas for her to eat because she has pressure injuries on her ankles. As she could not support herself with the wngs and therefore could stand on a tree branch, the bird needs to stand on the floor and that puts a lot of pressure on the legs (which led to these injuries). So, we have prepared these medicines inside the bananas, which we will be fed to the bird by hands. (00:45-01:11).