The Debrecen Zoo prospered with another special resident after a male from the Lodz Zoo in Poland arrived at their silver hornbill hen. Dr. Gergely Sándor Nagy, managing director, said that the hen, who has been living in the institution since 2005, will hopefully accept the young male as her mate, and visitors can witness another unfolding of animal love that has never been seen before in the history of the institution. The members of the prospective couple will be gradually introduced to each other so they can only be seen separately for the time being, but the newcomer can also be seen on Friday Walking Evenings in the spacious outer aviary of Africa Flying in the company of marabuk, crowned cranes and ibis.
The silver hornbill (Bycanistes brevis) is native to evergreen forests from Ethiopia to South Africa. Like its relatives, like other hornbills, there is a large hollow outgrowth on top of the beak, which not only gives more support to the beak used in combat, nest building, and food, but also amplifies the animal’s beeps. It mainly eats fruit, but occasionally kills insects and smaller lizards.
The male and hen, who stay together for a lifetime, jointly build their nest walled from the outside world in a tree litter, and both take part in the care of the offspring: the hen stays with the chicks until they fly out, while the male feeds them continuously – up to 24 times a day. Due to the loss of its habitat, the species is on the Red List of the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
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