Number of hornbills in Panay growing

Conservationists in Panay Island are optimistic about the growing number of hornbills that are considered critically endangered.
“We estimate that there are now 3,000 individual species of hornbills in Panay,” said Christian Schwartz, a German national and currently the project manager of the Philippine Conservation Incorporated (Philincon).
The present number is a significant increase in the number of hornbills in Panay, which was only around 1,000 several years ago, he said.
Panay Island, composed of the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz and Iloilo, has two species of hornbills: the Visayas Tarictic Hornbill and the Writhed-billed Hornbill.
The province of Antique, by virtue of a Sanguniang Panlalawigan resolution passed several years ago, considers the hornbill as its provincial bird.
“We continuously received reports that there are private resorts in Iloilo and in other areas including Boracay that harbor a captive hornbill disguised as a tourism lure. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources does not give permits to anyone to take care of a hornbill even in private capacity since it is considered as critically endangered. Several European businessmen in Panay also do this,” said Schwartz.
The Philincon was accredited by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to just treat or rescue hornbills in captivity on condition that these will be released in the wild the soonest possible time.
In 2000, the Panay hornbills have been considered as the most endangered in the world until the late discovery of the Sulu hornbill in Mindanao.
Philincon is focused on the conservation of hornbills including other endangered species based in Pandan, Antique./