Footage from the Associated Private Nature Reserves APNR Ground Hornbill Project have captured several southern ground hornbill chicks from artificial nests in the APNR bordering the Kruger area.
The clips mark a milestone for the project, which has been running for 20 years and has tripled the population of the species in the region. Southern ground hornbills are listed as vulnerable globally and endangered in South Africa, Namibia and Eswatini.
The species has a long lifespan, reaching up to 60 years, with low breeding success. Only one female in a group lays eggs and, in the wild, a group successfully fledges a chick on average every six to nine years. Chicks spend about three months in the nest and take around eight years to reach full maturity.
