Environmental protection internships fully immersed in nature
Born in 1999, the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project is all about the survival and the conservation of the Southern Ground-hornbills, a unique bird species only found in Africa, which, unfortunately, is classified as ‘endangered’ in South Africa, and risks being considered as ‘critically endangered’ due to their continuous population decline.
The factors threatening their survival are numerous: the loss of suitable habitat due to human expansion, overgrazing and climate change, which also contributed to the decrease of their nesting sites; fatalities due to secondary poisoning; direct human persecution because of their territorial behavior and negative cultural associations, just to name a few.
Since the establishment of the project, the team has been working tirelessly towards their long-term goal of preserving the Southern Ground-hornbills populations through several key areas: meticulous rearing of redundant second-hatched chicks that otherwise would have not survived in nature if left to their own devices; programs of re-wilding and reintroduction with human assistance; provision of artificial nests; sound scientific research to support optimal decision-making; environmental education programs offered to local communities centered on relevant topics.
All activities of the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project are strictly carried out with the collaboration of local communities, collaborators and stakeholders. Through their mission, they are also able to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, such as no poverty through local employment of reintroduction monitors, among others.
