The predator hadn’t realised that the hornbill nest was being monitored by a camera, as part of the APNR Ground-Hornbill Project, which has been researching and conserving the species for just over two decades.
32-year old, Ph.D. candidate, Kyle-Mark Middleton and Project Researcher, Carrie Hickman came across footage of the leopard entering the nest and leaving with the baby bird, catching the stealthy big cat red-handed, or rather, red-pawed.
Hornbill nest – a scene of tranquility
As one of the more comical of Africa’s birds, hornbills are definitely a species worth viewing! The ground hornbill is a fascinating bird with striking features to captivate any bird enthusiast.
From its unique physical characteristics to its behavioral patterns, there’s much to learn about this intriguing species.
However, on this particular day, the camera set up to watch the fascinating ground hornbill, picked up on another one of Africa’s most beautiful species.
Leopard disturbs peace of nest
A leopard appeared by the nest, having stalked its way to where the nest was positioned. It approached the nest with ease; an impressive figure with a vibrant coat of gold adorned by rosette patterns.
Sticking its paw into the nest’s opening, the leopard examined the nest’s contents; even taking a peak inside.
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It fiddled around with a paw; a picture of beauty and natural prowess as it effortlessly accosted the nest, in search of food.
Leopard snatches baby bird in full view of camera
It didn’t take long for the creature to realise the nest wasn’t empty. It quickly snatched the baby; leaving like a shadow, much as it had arrived. No-one would have suspected a thing, had its movements not been captured by the camera.
Kyle-Mark and Carrie arrived at the nest during their routine nest checks to monitor breeding and the nestling condition. “On arrival at the nest, we heard something rustling above and then jumping down. When we got to the foot of the nest, we saw the half-eaten nestling on the ground. We retrieved the camera trap to see what had happened.”
The ground hornbill has a remarkably slow breeding cycle. A mating pair typically produces only two chicks every nine years, but sadly, only one of them usually survives. This slow reproductive rate makes the species vulnerable and contributes to its conservation challenges.
In captivity, ground hornbills can live up to 70 years, making them one of the longest-living bird species on the planet.
Footage exposes ‘nest thief’
This was when they got out the footage.
“When watching the footage we were very sad that this had happened,” said the researchers. “Losing a chick is quite a big blow for these endangered birds. At the same time, it is good that we caught the culprit. Often we find nests empty and can only assume that it was predated. But we never know what the actual animal was.”
The researchers say that the footage of the nest thief has helped them better understand the world of the ground hornbill, which includes predators, which disturb them and their nests.
“Since using camera traps, this is only the third time we have caught a leopard predation event. At the end of the day, this is heartbreaking yes. However, it is crucial to remember that one can sympathize with the prey, but shouldn’t villainize the predator.”