S H O R T R E P O R T Report by Serene C.L. Chng KH +HOPHWHG +RUQELOO Rhinoplax vigil has faced unprecedented levels of poaching in recent years to supply the illegal trade for ivory from its casque, resulting in a plunge in wild populations and the species being uplisted to Critically Endangered in 2015 &ROODU%HDVWDOOet al.%LUG/LIH,QWHUQDWLRQDO T6HL]XUHVGDWDLOOXVWUDWHWKHVKDUSLQFUHDVHLQSRDFKLQJDQGLOOHJDOWUDGH EIA, TRAFFIC, Born Free Foundation and others compiled at least 59 separate VHL]XUHLQFLGHQWVLQYROYLQJDPLQLPXPRI+HOPHWHG+RUQELOOFDVTXHV VNXOOVDQGSURGXFWVEHWZHHQDQG$SULO+RWVSRWVZLWKLQ,QGRQHVLD DQG&KLQDKDYHEHHQLGHQWL¿HGIURPWKHVHVHL]XUHV 0DS The main source of the seized casques is Indonesia, in particular Kalimantan DQG6XPDWUD²WKHRQO\6WDWHVLQWKHVSHFLHV¶VUDQJHLQWKHFRXQWU\WKHFDVTXHV WKHQH[LW,QGRQHVLDHLWKHUWRPDLQODQG&KLQDRU+RQJ.RQJYLD-DNDUWD &KQJ et al.,LQSUHS ,Q&KLQDWKHPDLQFRQVXPHUFRXQWU\QRWDEOHHQWU\SRLQWVZHUH DW6KHQ]KHQDQG+RQJ.RQJ &KQJet al.,LQSUHS%HDVWDOOet al. ZKLOH WKHFLW\RI3XWLDQLQ)XMLDQ3URYLQFHZDVLGHQWL¿HGDVWKHFHQWUHRIWKHFDVTXH TRAFFIC / JOHN ELIZABETH HELPING THE HORNBILL KEEP ITS HEAD FDUYLQJLQGXVWU\ (,$ 0DUNHWVLQ9LHQWLDQHR൵HULQJKRUQELOOFDVTXHV are also shown to target Chinese nationals, as divulged by sellers and reinforced E\ WKH REVHUYDWLRQV RI FDVTXH SURGXFWV DGYHUWLVHG LQ 0DQGDULQ (,$ Krishnasamy et al., (YLGHQFHLQGLFDWHVWKDWRUJDQL]HGFULPHQHWZRUNV are behind this trade, with gangs of poachers operating in Indonesia supported E\ PLGGOHPHQ DQG WUDGHUV 0DUW\U 0RQJDED\ DQG ZRUNHG FDVTXHVEHLQJVPXJJOHGLQWR/DR3'5 (,$.ULVKQDVDP\et al., In order to identify what action can be taken to tackle this problem, the ¿UVWHYHUZRUNVKRSRQ+HOPHWHG+RUQELOO&RQVHUYDWLRQDQG$FWLRQ3ODQQLQJ was held in Sarawak, Malaysia, from 19–20 May 2017. This landmark event brought together 36 experts, implementers and decision-making TRAFFIC / JOHN ELIZABETH authorities including governments from China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, non-governmental organizations, hornbill experts and researchers, ¨ HELMETED HORNBILL parts conservationists and funders from 28 organizations who convened in Kubah observed at a shop in Vientiane 1DWLRQDO3DUN7KHHYHQWKHOGRQWKHEDFNRIWKHWK,QWHUQDWLRQDO+RUQELOO &RQIHUHQFH DLPHG WR GHYHORS MRLQWO\ WKH +HOPHWHG +RUQELOO &RQVHUYDWLRQ during market surveys carried 6WUDWHJ\DQG$FWLRQ3ODQLQDQH൵RUWWRVDIHJXDUGWKLVVSHFLHVIURPH[WLQFWLRQ out in Lao PDR between April and to prioritize conservation action and interventions. This initiative was driven and supported by a number of organizations including the IUCN SSC and July 2016. The species—the $VLDQ 6SHFLHV $FWLRQ 3DUWQHUVKLS WKH +RUQELOO 5HVHDUFK )RXQGDWLRQ WKH largest of all the Asian hornbills Wildlife Conservation Society, BirdLife International and Wildlife Reserves —occurs in Brunei Darussalam, 6LQJDSRUH75$)),&ZDVDOVRDNH\FRQWULEXWRU Ź Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand, and is scarce throughout its range. Unlike the casque of other hornbill species, that of the Helmeted Hornbill is made from solid keratin which makes it suitable for carving. The carvings are prized commodities, particularly among Chinese SANJITPAAL SINGH / JITSPICS.COM / SINGH SANJITPAAL communities (Krishnasamy, 2016). Participants of the Helmeted Hornbill conservation planning workshop. TRAFFIC Bulletin9RO1R S H O R T R E P O R T EIA / TRAFFIC / EIA MUHAMMAD ALZAHRI MUHAMMAD Map OHIW showing locations of Helmeted Hornbill seizures between 2010 and April 2017. The size of the dot indicates the number of casques seized. Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil ULJKW Ź The workshop agreed on a vision for the survival of 5ൾൿൾඋൾඇർൾඌ +HOPHWHG+RUQELOOVDORQJZLWKWKHLGHQWL¿FDWLRQRILVVXHV threatening the species and corresponding objectives to %HDVWDOO & 6KHSKHUG &5 +DGLSUDNVDUVD < DQG 0DUW\U address these. Discussions were built around four main ' 7UDGH LQ WKH +HOPHWHG +RUQELOO Rhinoplax WKHPHV EXLOGLQJ NQRZOHGJH RI GLVWULEXWLRQ HFRORJ\ vigil: the ‘ivory hornbill’. Bird Conservation International DQGELRORJ\ XQGHUVWDQGLQJDQGPLWLJDWLQJWKHLPSDFW ± Rhinoplax vigil. The IUCN Red RIKDELWDWORVVIUDJPHQWDWLRQDQGGHJUDGDWLRQ WUDGH %LUG/LIH,QWHUQDWLRQDO List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22682464A92947540. ODZHQIRUFHPHQWDQGSROLF\DQG WUDGHGLVUXSWLQJWKH http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS. trade chain from poacher to consumer. T22682464A92947540.en. Viewed 26 July 2017. ,WZDVDOVRDJUHHGWKDWWKH+HOPHWHG+RUQELOO:RUNLQJ &ROODU 1- +HOPHWHG +RUQELOOV Rhinoplax vigil Group would be formalized under the IUCN umbrella to and the ivory trade: the crisis that came out of nowhere. FRRUGLQDWHGULYHDQGHQDEOHWKHH൵HFWLYHLPSOHPHQWDWLRQ BirdingASIA 24:12–17. of actions to safeguard the species, and provide advice (,$ Sin City: Illegal Wildlife Trade in Laos’ Golden and support to government agencies, NGOs and Triangle SEZ Special Economic Zone. Environmental research institutions working to save the species. This Investigation Agency, London, UK. process will be led by a small team of six individuals, (,$ Illegal trade seizures: Helmeted Hornbills— comprising two co-ordinators, and a lead each for the Mapping the Crimes. https://eia-international.org/illegal- 7UDGH5HVHDUFK+DELWDWDQG&DSDFLW\'HYHORSPHQWVXE trade-seizures-helmeted-hornbills. groups. Discussion from the workshop is being compiled .ULVKQDVDP\./HXSHQ%DQG2&2U Observations WR ¿QDOL]H WKH &RQVHUYDWLRQ 6WUDWHJ\ ZKLFK ZLOO DOVR of the Helmeted Hornbill Trade in Lao PDR. TRAFFIC, feed directly into the outcomes from the 17th meeting Malaysia. 24 pp. of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on 0DUW\U'- Kerinci Seblat Sumatran Tiger Protection International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Conservation. Cambridge, UK: Flora & Fauna DQG)ORUD &,7(6 LQUHODWLRQWR5HVROXWLRQ&RQI International. http://www.21stcenturytiger.org/assets/21 on Conservation of and trade in helmeted hornbill. tiger/Project_PDFs/Indonesia/Kerinci_Seblat_tiger/FFI_ KerinciSeblatFinalreport2013.pdf. Viewed January 2014. 0RQJDED\ Pemburu Rangkong Diringkus Tim Patroli $ർ඄ඇඈඐඅൾൽ඀ൾආൾඇඍඌ TNKS Jambi. http://www.mongabay.co.id/2014/05/12/ pemburu-rangkong-diringkus-tim-patroli-tnks-jambi/. The author thanks Wildlife Reserves Singapore and the US Department of State for supporting TRAFFIC’s SDUWLFLSDWLRQ DQG LQSXW LQWR WKH +HOPHWHG +RUQELOO Serene C.L. Chng, 3URJUDPPH2৽FHU75$)),& Working Group, and to the workshop organizing (PDLOVHUHQHFKQJ#WUD৽FRUJ committee for sharing information. 44 TRAFFIC Bulletin 9RO1R .