On 16 and 17 January 2010, the function hall at the Botany Centre located in the Singapore Botanic Gardens was packed to the brim with moviegoers. That weekend, more than 250 members of the public were invited to a free screening of the "Singapore Hornbill Project - Return of the King".
The majestic King of the Forest winging its way through its domain.
This 40-minute film is a labor of love: it chronicles the six-year journey of the project team that has been studying the Oriental Pied Hornbill, also known as the “King of the Forest”, and the massive challenge of bringing it back to Singapore's forests. The Singapore Hornbill Project is a collaborative effort between NParks, the Nanyang Technological University, the National University of Singapore, Wildlife Reserves Singapore (which oversees Jurong BirdPark), the Singapore Avian Conservation Project, and other sponsors. Various members of this project team, including team leader Marc Cremades, produced this documentary together with a film crew from France.
A rewarding journey
A spectacular bird native to this region, the Oriental Pied Hornbill had been lost from Singapore for many decades. Its absence since the 1800s was possibly due to hunting practices and the loss of a suitable habitat. Occasionally, some of them would visit Singapore from the forests of neighbouring countries. One of these wanderers was last seen in 1995, and since then, there has been a steady increase in the population.
This film screening marked the kick-off of NParks’ activities in support of the International Year of Biodiversity 2010 (IYB). These activities are aimed at raising public awareness of the rich biodiversity in Singapore.
Interested? Click here to find out more.
You can take part in the first of NParks’ IYB activities, the ‘BiodiverCity’ photo competition and exhibition. Jointly organised by NParks and the Photographic Society of Singapore, the winning BiodiverCity entries will be awarded with attractive prizes and be exhibited in roving exhibitions around Singapore.
Click here for more info.
As Singapore does not have many big old trees with natural cavities that hornbills use for nesting, NParks provided artificial nest boxes, to encourage these majestic birds to breed. However, according to Wong Tuan Wah, Director of Conservation, NParks, "Nature does not follow man-made protocols. Sometimes we are successful; sometimes we fail." It was inevitable that this project would face several challenges along the way.
The film showcases the setbacks and ultimately, the gratifying success of the hornbill project. Several nest boxes are now in use every year, the hornbill population has grown to more than 50 resident birds in Singapore; and the numbers continue to rise. Encouraged by the migratory activities of their offspring, hornbills can be seen in several localities far from their original breeding site in Pulau Ubin.
A nesting box provided by NParks, in use by a mating pair of hornbills
During the documentary production process, the project team members had to be mindful not to disturb the birds’ habitat. This proved quite difficult as the nesting boxes are typically 8 to 13 metres high. This example was one of the obstacles which ignited the curiosity of the film screening audience, as they were eager to learn how the team members managed to overcome the various problems.
After the screening, audience members were invited to participate in a question and answer session. The participation from the floor was very lively, as members of the audience took the opportunity to find out more about this spectacular bird, and glean insights from the filmmakers and Singapore Hornbill Project researchers.