“The future of wildlife and the habitat that they depend on is being destroyed. It is time to make nature and all the beauty living within it our priority.” ― Paul Oxton

Working at Sabi Sabi has really given us guides a fantastic opportunity to get hands-on experience as well as further our knowledge in all fields. It was an absolute pleasure to work hand-in-hand with the Sabi Sand Wildtuin (SSW) team in creating a brighter future for the Southern Ground Hornbills that call Sabi Sabi home.

Since 2013, SSW has been running an annual Southern Ground Hornbill monitoring program where they focus on collecting data pertaining to distribution, nest localities and breeding success. As of 2017, with the help of various lodges and staff members all around, they have positively identified three new nest locations.

The species are extremely slow breeders as these birds only reach sexual maturity around eight (8) years of age. Southern Ground Hornbills lay two eggs where only one chick (usually the first hatched) survives and the second chick is seen more as an ‘insurance policy’ in case something happens to the first chick within the first two weeks post hatching.

So, to aid in the critical conservation efforts of these birds, the SSW became an active participant in the nest harvesting procedure in 2017 whereby the redundant second chick is removed from the nest and taken to the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project (MGHP). The bird is then reared to juvenile age and placed within their ‘bush school’ which aids in getting the birds through the first five (5) years of life before a final release is planned.

Jandré Coetzee and Damin Dallas are the conservation officers within SSW where they run all the ecological projects and conservation related matters within the reserve.

The team that you see in the images, Favorite, Alucia, Kensane and Constance, are all a part of the joint SSW/Investec YES (Youth Employment Service) initiative hired as Environmental Apprentices. All five were with for educational purposes and are usually always with us to gain valuable insight.

In the upcoming weeks, SSW and Sabi Sabi will be checking on the eggs from time to time and providing updates on the progress of the project. Hopefully, we will be sharing some happy endings in light of the Christmas spirit.

Stay tuned.