VICTIM. A severely wounded Visayan tarictic hornbill found in Barangay Tigbalua, Sibalom, Antique on Sunday (Sept. 1, 2024). The Office of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer on Monday (Sept. 2) urged the public to help protect and conserve the hornbills. (Photo courtesy of Marry Joy Vego)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The Office of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (OPENRO) here is urging the public to help protect and conserve the Dulungan (Rufous-headed hornbill or Rhabdotorrhinus waldeni) and Visayan tarictic hornbill (Penelope’s panini).
OPENRO chief Vivian Marfil said in an interview Monday that they counted 62 heads of Dulungan and 52 Visayan Tarictic in 10 municipalities in August.
“The hornbills, although they may be different in colors, they both are important as biodiversity indicators,” she said.
She said Antique considers the Dulungan its provincial bird because they have more of them than in other areas of Panay Island.
“Although the number of the hornbills may not be enough representation of their population in the province, with their number, we will be embarking on more endemic seedling propagation so that they would have habitat and food,” Marfil said.
Marfil said that they will also conduct an information and education campaign in Barangay Tigbalua, Sibalom to raise awareness of the importance and identification of the hornbills.
“We are saddened to know that only after our Dulungan Month celebration, there is already a severely wounded hornbill that had died,” Marfil said.
The tarictic hornbill was found severely wounded by the owner of a forested property in Barangay Tigbalua, believed to be caused by a slingshot.
The landowner brought the bird home in Barangay Catungan II for treatment, but it died.
The hornbill is now under the safekeeping of officials for the conduct of necropsy.
The Visayan tarictic and writhed hornbills were declared critically endangered by the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources in 2019. (PNA)
