# <center>Only 1500 Ground Hornbills left in South Africa!</center>

<center>Southern Ground Hornbill is the largest species of hornbills.  About a meter tall, this bird is hard to miss in the bush.  It's size, jet black feathers and red adornment on the head and throat make it easy to spot.  However, it is rare indeed to spot these birds, because of their dwindling numbers.  
<center>![ground hornbill2-1.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRuKU1rW1pxQhQedt9UVo4Th1WLUX8yTtodivWVdeQHV1/ground%20hornbill2-1.jpg)</center>
(Photo taken by me near Lower Sabi in South Africa with Canon SX50HS)
<br> 
This bird, which is under the 'Vulenrable (for extinction)' category throughout Africa but due to the rapid decline in their numbers in South Africa, it has been declared as 'endangered' in South Africa.

### Diminishing habitat, due to rapid urbanization and farming is the main cause of their diminishing numbers

Though there are a number of conservation initiatives for supporting the Ground Hornbill, the results obtained by the projects vary widely.  This is because of couple of reasons.  Ground Hornbill reproduction cycle is very irregular.  Typically, in a group of up to 11 members, there is only one mating pair.   Further,  the **Ground Hornbills only lay 2 eggs.  One of the eggs hatches earlier and the chick in the first egg to hatch is stronger and heavier than the one hatching later.  Since 'survival of the fittest' is the rule of the jungle', the first born chick, due to it's strength and size, dominates the food supply.  As a result, very often, the second chick dies soon!** Most of the conservation efforts center around taking the second egg and trying to raise the second chick.

We need to spread the message about protecting the habitat of these prehistoric looking birds.  We do not want our grand children to see one more species only in the books do we?

### Let us do our bit Steemians -  If nothing else, please help in enhancing awareness about the need to protect the Ground Hornbill habitat.  
<br>
### 𝓟𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓵𝓹 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓶𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓪𝓰𝓮 𝓯𝓪𝓻 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔀𝓲𝓭𝓮 - 𝓪𝓬𝓻𝓸𝓼𝓼 𝓢𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓶𝓲𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓼𝓸𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵 𝓶𝓮𝓭𝓲𝓪</center>  

<br>



------

Please feel free to check my other recent posts on my Africa experience:

[Bathing Beauties: Save water Elephant style ](https://steemit.com/life/@vm2904/bathing-beauties-save-water-elephant-style-original-gifs-and-thoughts)

[Dueling Duo: How Impalas manage conflict..](https://steemit.com/life/@vm2904/dueling-duo-how-impalas-manage-conflict-original-photos-and-thoughts)

[PhotoSpeak #1: Man vs. Nature...](https://steemit.com/photography/@vm2904/photospeak-1-man-vs-nature)

[Photospeak #2: African landscape...](https://steemit.com/photography/@vm2904/photospeak-2-african-landscape)

[PhotoSpeak #3: On the Road...😎](https://steemit.com/photography/@vm2904/photospeak-3-on-the-road) 

<br>

![upvote follow resteem.gif](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRhDtjokAZnGKi4QwheqksKTFo6m4fsjMYsNNrsitC1xk/upvote%20follow%20resteem.gif)