Watching a helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) swoop through the canopy of a tropical forest sits atop the bucket list of many bird lovers. The prodigious bird cuts a striking silhouette against the sky with its bulging casque fused to its beak.
But the swiftly accelerating demand, especially in China, for baubles carved from the ivory-like material of their casque has diminished the chances of seeing helmeted hornbills throughout their habitat in Southeast Asia — so much so that the IUCN now lists the species as critically endangered.
https://news.mongabay.com/2019/10/intl-wildlife-trade-sweeps-across-tree-of-life/
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