Ground Hornbills of the Timbavati Reserve

On the Jonniesdale concession, Timbavati Nature Reserve, home of Shindela Bush Camp and walking safari's, we are lucky to see Ground Hornbills fairly often. There is a Ground Hornbill nesting log on the property. This log is built into tree cover, and is there to support the breeding efforts of the endangered Ground Hornbill.

The Timbavati Reserve is working on a Ground Hornbill Project : 

Official name: The APNR Ground Hornbill Research and Conservation project: - Conservation Requirements of the Southern Ground Hornbill: Demographic, Ecological and Behavioural consequences of Cooperative Breeding in a long lived terrestrial bird.
Surely one of the most endearing African birds, the Ground Hornbill is a gregarious, turkey sized bird with mainly terrestrial habits. It hunts lizards and snakes by sight, using its large eyes to spot prey. It has a curious habit of displaying its kills, often striding about with prey in its beak for several minutes, as if flaunting its hunting prowess.

The Ground Hornbill population has been steadily declining and a study has been commissioned to find out why this is happening and what steps can be taken to improve the lot of this species.