Hunters are wiping out hornbills in Ghana’s forests

Hunting for meat consumption and the bushmeat trade is threatening several species of hornbills in Ghana, in some cases leading to their complete disappearance, according to a recent study. Ecologist Lars Holbech of the University of Ghana said hunters had shifted their focus from the large mammals, now rare in many parts of the country, to large-bodied animals like hornbills. In the July edition of the journal Biological Conservation, Holbech and his colleagues reported that populations of six hornbill species had declined since 1990. In the first study of its kind on hornbills in Ghana, the team pulled together data from surveys in 26 forested areas, ranging from relatively untouched national parks to recently logged stretches of the Upper Guinea rainforest. This stretch of rainforest in West Africa has been designated a biodiversity hotspot because of the breadth of species it contains as well as the pressures it faces from human activity. Holbech told Mongabay he had witnessed a change in the hornbill populations he had tracked around Ghana since he first arrived in 1990. “At that time, I saw them quite often, even in logged areas,” he said. In some parts of the world, the wildlife trade has taken a toll as poachers kill hornbills for their unique casques to use in decorative carvings. Habitat destruction for timber and agriculture are also concerns for hornbills, but Holbech’s research has led him to conclude that some species of hornbills can adapt to changing environments. “The main problem here is the…

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