KALIBO, Aklan, May 7 (PNA)– Conservationists in Panay Island have expressed optimism that the number of hornbills considered to be critically endangered are increasing their numbers, this is according to Christian Schwarz, a German national and currently the project manager of the Philippine Conservation Inc. (Philincon).
The Philincon is focused on the conservation of hornbills including other endangered species based in Pandan, Antique.
“We estimate that there are now 3,000 individual species of hornbills in Panay,” said Schwarz. Several years ago, the number of hornbills in Panay were estimated to only around 1,000.
The Panay Island composed of the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz and Iloilo has two species of hornbills. They are the Visayas Tarictic Hornbills and the Writhed-billed hornbills.
The province of Antique considers the hornbill as their provincial bird through a Sangguniang Panlalawigan resolution passed several years ago.
“We continuously receive reports that there are private resorts in Iloilo and in some other areas harboring a captive hornbill being disguised as a tourism lure. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources do not give permits to anyone to take care of the hornbill even in private capacity since it is considered as a critically endangered. Several European businessmen in Panay also do this,” said Schwarz.
The Philincon was accredited by the DENR National Office to just treat or rescue hornbills in captivity on condition that this will be released in the wild the soonest possible time.
In 2000, the Panay hornbills had been considered as the most endangered hornbill in the world until the late discovery of the Sulu hornbill in Mindanao.(PNA)