Ravinder Kaur, a leading expert on Malaysian hornbills and founder of social enterprise Gaia, has received four grants from The Rufford Foundation since 2019. Her second booster grant, distributed in June 2024, funds her latest project, The Conservation of Endangered Hornbills in Malaysia. Through her projects, Ravinder and her team have partnered with local NGOs such as HUTAN-KOCP and indigenous Malaysian villagers in locations including Kenyir Lake and Kinabatangan, Borneo. Together, they apply Professor Dr Pilai Poonswad’s conservation methods; monitor the nests of endangered hornbills, deter poachers through long-term nest observations, search for new nesting sites, restore tree cavities and install artificial nests to increase nesting opportunities. This has had a positive impact on the conservation of Malaysia’s hornbills. The country has ten species which play a crucial role as seed dispersers, thus sustaining the delicate balance of its natural ecosystems.
The Rufford Foundation celebrates another amazing achievement from Ravinder and her team who have helped establish National Hornbill Day in Malaysia and have it officiated by Malaysia’s Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability minister, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad. The inaugural National Hornbill Day was held in Elmina Sales Gallery, Shah Alam, and was sponsored by Sime Darby Foundation, Minnesota Zoo and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, with support from Sime Darby Berhad, SD Guthrie, Sime Darby Property, Department of National Parks, Sabah Wildlife Department and Sarawak Forestry Corporation. The occasion also received media coverage from one of Malaysia’s leading news outlets, New Straits Times. In his speech to guests, Nik Ahmad noted the importance of the Day for advancing hornbill conservation and strengthening conservation policies, celebrating and promoting Malaysia’s biodiversity, and encouraging educational initiatives.
Photographs of all ten species of hornbill were exhibited during the event, images captured by Ravinder’s husband – award-winning wildlife photographer, Sanjitpaal Singh. In further exciting news, Sanjitpaal’s hornbill photos have been featured in a special stamp series published by POS Malaysia in honour of the first National Hornbill Day. The stamps – which feature several species including the Helmeted and Wreathed Hornbill – are a must for anyone keen to support the conservation of these “farmers of the forest”. They can be purchased here.
On her work towards establishing National Hornbill Day, Ravinder says “Our forests would be incomplete without the hornbills. On Malaysia’s National Hornbill Day, we hope to bring the nation together to know and love the hornbills. We celebrate not only the hornbills themselves but also the efforts of conservationists and local communities who tirelessly work to protect these remarkable birds.”
Sanjitpaal added, “On this historical event, I am elated to be able to exhibit my photos of all the ten species of hornbills in Malaysia, images that took me over 20 years to obtain. My biggest hope is to get people to engage with nature. Every photograph is a new opportunity for people to learn about conservation and get involved in trying to save the world. That's the biggest hope any wildlife photographer could carry each time they take a picture out in the wild”.
Well done to Ravinder, Sanjitpaal and the team at Gaia for their extraordinary achievements. We hope that you are as inspired by them as we are!
To learn more about Gaia’s work to conserve hornbills, listen to the Earth Matters podcast. Joined by, CEO of the Sime Darby Foundation, Dr. Hjh Yatela Zainal Abidin, they reflect on the threats facing these beautiful creatures which include habitat loss, poaching and climate change. They also shared the ups and downs of hornbill conservation and the unprecedented actions being taken to save their habitats.
Connect with Ravinder (@gaiaxplorer), Sanjitpaal (@jitspics) and the Gaia team on their website, Facebook and Instagram pages, and learn more about the Hornbills of Malaysia here.
