Softer than ivory and easily carved, hornbill casques are in high demand in Asia, to be fashioned into beads, pendants, and intricate works of art. It’s been illegal to buy and sell helmeted hornbill parts internationally since 1975, but their conservation status recently shot up from near threatened to critically endangered—a jump of three levels and only one away from extinct in the wild. In every country where helmeted hornbills are found, they’re protected by national laws, but Indonesia has emerged as a poaching hot spot. Follow along with Yokyok Hadiprakarsa, a biologist and founder of the nonprofit Rangkong Indonesia, as he tries to raise awareness and save this beautiful bird.
Read the full story: “
Poached for its Horn, This Rare Bird Struggles to Survive” featured in the September 2018 issue of
National Geographic. This video was produced in collaboration with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. National Geographic is partnering with the
National Audubon Society,
BirdLife International, and the
Cornell Lab of Ornithology to celebrate the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Watch for more
stories, books, and events throughout 2018, the
Year of the Bird.
Published August 28, 2018
![[Excerpt] Becoming Immortal](https://cdn.video.nationalgeographic.com/dims4/default/5aa401e/2147483647/thumbnail/354x199%3E/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpmdvod.nationalgeographic.com%2FNG_Video%2F704%2F415%2Fsmpost_1544703972596.jpg)
