While discovering a bird with a large beak perched on a branch, Mr. Đặng Minh Thắng tried to scare it away, but instead, the bird flew towards him. He managed to catch it and then handed it over to the local forestry department. Upon receiving the bird for rescue, the authorities identified it as a white-bellied hornbill.
The white-bellied hornbill that the Ho Chi Minh City Forestry Department received from Mr. Đặng Minh Thắng – (Photo provided by the authorities).
On September 3, the Ho Chi Minh City Forestry Department announced that they had received and rescued a white-bellied hornbill voluntarily surrendered by Mr. Đặng Minh Thắng (from Ben Tre Province).
In an interview with a reporter, Mr. Thắng shared that while he was enjoying coffee at a café in Hiệp Bình Chánh Ward (Thu Duc City), he heard a strange sound.
He then spotted the bird but did not recognize the species. With its large beak, it was perched on a branch. Mr. Thắng attempted to shoo it away, but the bird did not leave. Thinking the bird might eat some fruit, he offered it a cucumber with a stick.
However, the bird did not eat and instead flew down towards Mr. Thắng, landing on a nearby ornamental plant. At this point, Mr. Thắng managed to catch the bird again and later contacted the authorities to hand it over.
“Some people asked to buy it, but I refused to sell. I hope the bird can be released back into the wild,” Mr. Thắng expressed.
Forestry officers from the Ho Chi Minh City Forestry Department arrived to receive the bird and took it for care and rehabilitation as per regulations.
The officers confirmed that this is a white-bellied hornbill, scientifically known as Anthracoceros albirostris. It is a male weighing approximately 0.5 kg and is classified as a group IIB species in the list of endangered and rare wildlife.
