# Helmeted hornbill: the red ivory trade, law and how to help

> The helmeted hornbill is protected in Indonesia and Critically Endangered. Facts on the red ivory casque trade, seizures, penalties and how to report it.

Source: https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-causes/helmeted-hornbill-red-ivory-trade/ · Updated 1 October 2026 · English · Bahasa Indonesia: https://panduanhewan.org/id/isu-satwa/rangkong-gading-perdagangan-paruh/
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## Quick answer

The helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) is protected in Indonesia: it is entry 248 in the annex to Regulation P.106/2018, is listed in CITES Appendix I and has been Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2015. It is poached for its solid casque, carved as "red ivory"; in 2013 an estimated 500 birds a month were killed in West Kalimantan alone. Hunting, keeping or selling a hornbill or its casque carries up to 15 years in prison, so do not buy hornbill products and report any sale to Gakkum Kehutanan (forestry law enforcement), the BKSDA or the police on 110.

- **Legal status in Indonesia:** Protected: listed in the P.106/2018 annex (entry 248) ([Permen LHK No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, Lampiran: jenis satwa dilindungi (Bucerotidae, no. 240–252)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf))
- **IUCN status:** Critically Endangered since 2015; previously Near Threatened ([IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039))
- **CITES:** Appendix I since 1 July 1975 ([Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and CITES Secretariat) — Rhinoplax vigil, CITES listing history (API data)](https://speciesplus.net/api/v1/taxon_concepts/5769))
- **Peak of poaching in West Kalimantan:** About 500 birds a month in 2013, or about 6,000 a year ([IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039))
- **Seizures in Indonesia, March 2012–August 2014:** At least 1,117 heads or casques in 13 operations ([Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010))
- **Casque weight:** About 10% of body weight; solid, unlike the hollow casques of other hornbills ([Surapaneni et al. (2025). The helmeted hornbill casque is reinforced by a bundle of exceptionally thick, rod-like trabeculae. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11829324/))
- **Breeding:** Female sealed in the nest for over 160 days; a pair nests every other year ([IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039))
- **Penalty for trading body parts:** Up to 15 years in prison and/or a fine of up to Rp5 billion (category VII) ([UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/337869/uu-no-1-tahun-2026))
- **Hornbill species in Indonesia:** 13 species, all listed in the P.106/2018 annex (entries 240–252) ([Indonesia.go.id — Sekelumit cerita upaya penyelamatan burung besar (29 Oktober 2019, arsip Wayback Machine)](https://web.archive.org/web/20220813205636/https://www.indonesia.go.id/ragam/keanekaragaman-hayati/sosial/sekelumit-cerita-upaya-penyelamatan-burung-besar))

## Is the helmeted hornbill protected in Indonesia?

Yes. The helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil), known in Indonesian as rangkong gading or enggang gading, is entry 248 in the annex to Environment and Forestry Ministerial Regulation P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 on protected plant and animal species. The other twelve Indonesian hornbill species are in the same annex, so all 13 occupy entries 240 to 252.

As a result, Article 21(2) of Law 5/1990, as amended by Law 32/2024, bans hunting, killing, keeping, transporting or trading a hornbill alive (point a) or dead (point b), its body parts such as the bill, casque and feathers (point c), and its eggs and nest (point d). Moving it to another place or abroad (point e) and selling it online without a permit (point g) are also banned.

Internationally, the helmeted hornbill has been in CITES Appendix I since 1 July 1975, so commercial international trade in the bird, its parts and derivatives is not permitted. The IUCN Red List classed it as Near Threatened until 2012 and has listed it as Critically Endangered since 2015. The latest assessment, in 2020, kept it at Critically Endangered.

The helmeted hornbill is also West Kalimantan's identity animal. Under Home Affairs Ministry Decree 48/1989 on guidelines for regional flora and fauna identities, the province's mascot is the enggang gading. Many people mistake the mascot for the rhinoceros hornbill. The difference is easy to see: the rhinoceros hornbill's casque curves upwards, while the helmeted hornbill's does not.

Evidence: [Permen LHK No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, Lampiran: jenis satwa dilindungi (Bucerotidae, no. 240–252)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf) · [Permen LHK No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, Lampiran: jenis satwa dilindungi (Bucerotidae, no. 240–252)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf) · [Permen LHK No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, Lampiran: jenis satwa dilindungi (Bucerotidae, no. 240–252)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf) · [UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and CITES Secretariat) — Rhinoplax vigil, CITES listing history (API data)](https://speciesplus.net/api/v1/taxon_concepts/5769) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [ANTARA Kalbar — Cek kembali gambar enggang untuk maskot resmi Provinsi Kalbar (27 Januari 2021)](https://kalbar.antaranews.com/berita/456820/cek-kembali-gambar-enggang-untuk-maskot-resmi-provinsi-kalbar) · [ANTARA Kalbar — Cek kembali gambar enggang untuk maskot resmi Provinsi Kalbar (27 Januari 2021)](https://kalbar.antaranews.com/berita/456820/cek-kembali-gambar-enggang-untuk-maskot-resmi-provinsi-kalbar) · [ANTARA Kalbar — Cek kembali gambar enggang untuk maskot resmi Provinsi Kalbar (27 Januari 2021)](https://kalbar.antaranews.com/berita/456820/cek-kembali-gambar-enggang-untuk-maskot-resmi-provinsi-kalbar)

## What is 'red ivory', and why is the helmeted hornbill's casque traded?

What poachers want is the casque, the helmet-like structure on top of the bill. In most hornbills the casque is largely hollow with a thin shell. The helmeted hornbill's casque is solid: its bony core is packed with trabecular bone, its front is covered by keratin about 25 mm thick, and the whole casque makes up about 10% of the bird's body weight. The "beaks" or "heads" seized in trade cases are, in effect, these casques.

The bird uses this solid casque for aerial jousting: two birds, usually males, crash their casques together at high speed in a display that can be heard more than 100 metres away.

That thick keratin is what carvers want, and it is the main driver of poaching. It is creamy white or yellowish orange with a bright red edge, so on the black market it is called "red", alongside "black" for rhino horn and "white" for elephant ivory. The name enggang gading itself means "ivory hornbill". According to the IUCN, China is the largest consumer, and casques are usually carved into decorations.

The trade is centuries old: the first record dates from 1371, when hornbill ivory was sent as tribute to the Ming court in China. The modern surge shows up in art auction data: the number of helmeted hornbill casque products auctioned peaked in 2011–2014, and illegal trade followed the same pattern as the auction market.

PanduanHewan deliberately does not publish prices for helmeted hornbill casques or heads, because wildlife trade researchers warn that reports highlighting the money without the penalties risk drawing more people into the trade. What matters is this: trading hornbill casques is a crime.

Evidence: [Surapaneni et al. (2025). The helmeted hornbill casque is reinforced by a bundle of exceptionally thick, rod-like trabeculae. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11829324/) · [Surapaneni et al. (2025). The helmeted hornbill casque is reinforced by a bundle of exceptionally thick, rod-like trabeculae. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11829324/) · [Surapaneni et al. (2025). The helmeted hornbill casque is reinforced by a bundle of exceptionally thick, rod-like trabeculae. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11829324/) · [Surapaneni et al. (2025). The helmeted hornbill casque is reinforced by a bundle of exceptionally thick, rod-like trabeculae. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11829324/) · [Surapaneni et al. (2025). The helmeted hornbill casque is reinforced by a bundle of exceptionally thick, rod-like trabeculae. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11829324/) · [Surapaneni et al. (2025). The helmeted hornbill casque is reinforced by a bundle of exceptionally thick, rod-like trabeculae. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11829324/) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Chan et al. (2026). Characterization and 3D imaging of ballistic damage in the casques of helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil). Integrative Organismal Biology](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13100508/) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Assessing the legal, illegal, and gray ornamental trade of the critically endangered helmeted hornbill. Conservation Biology (2024), abstract](https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14358) · [Assessing the legal, illegal, and gray ornamental trade of the critically endangered helmeted hornbill. Conservation Biology (2024), abstract](https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14358) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010)

## What happened to helmeted hornbills in West Kalimantan in 2012–2013?

West Kalimantan was the centre of the crisis. The IUCN assessment records that as many as 500 helmeted hornbills a month are thought to have been killed there in 2013, about 6,000 a year. In 2018 the Environment and Forestry Ministry's director-general for nature conservation cited the same figure: some 6,000 adults killed for their heads in West Kalimantan in 2012–2013.

Field investigations in 2013 found 2–5 poaching teams working in each of five study areas. Each team went into the forest 1–3 times a month and generally took 10–30 hornbills per trip, usually finding the birds at fruiting fig trees. From these figures, researchers calculated that poaching gangs in West Kalimantan were removing between 1,200 and 27,000 helmeted hornbills a year. They judged the upper figure highly improbable, but even the lower one far exceeds a sustainable harvest.

Seizures followed the same pattern. Between March 2012 and August 2014, officers in West Kalimantan seized 781 helmeted hornbill heads or casques in eight operations, close to 70% of everything seized in Indonesia in that period. Four seizures were made at Supadio Airport in Pontianak (386 items), two in Kapuas Hulu (24 and 50), one in Sintang (15) and the largest, 306 beaks, in Melawi District on 25 April 2013.

The trade is run by organised crime networks that also deal in Sumatran tigers and pangolins. As a result, researchers report that the helmeted hornbill's far-carrying call is now rarely heard in the forests of West and Central Kalimantan.

Evidence: [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [ANTARA Kalbar — Cegah kepunahan rangkong gading (25 Oktober 2018)](https://kalbar.antaranews.com/berita/366678/cegah-kepunahan-rangkong-gading) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010)

## What are the main helmeted hornbill casque seizures in Indonesia?

Between March 2012 and August 2014, at least 2,170 helmeted hornbill heads or casques were seized in Indonesia and China, 1,117 of them in 13 operations in Indonesia. Indonesia's second-largest seizure of the period came at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on 4 January 2013: 248 beaks in the luggage of four Chinese nationals bound for Hong Kong, who were also carrying pangolin skins.

On 17 July 2019, the ministry, airport security and the quarantine office stopped 72 helmeted hornbill beaks being smuggled to Hong Kong through Soekarno-Hatta Airport. On 3 November 2020, a joint police and ministry team arrested two men in Central Aceh with 71 helmeted hornbill beaks, a tiger skin with its bones and 28 kg of pangolin scales. On 23 February 2021, the Takengon District Court sentenced the owner to 1 year and 3 months in prison and a Rp50 million fine.

The cases have continued: 23 helmeted hornbill beaks from Central Kalimantan were stopped at Semarang airport (9 February 2021); 10 helmeted hornbill beaks were seized from a seller in Tarutung, North Tapanuli (6 August 2022); two online sellers shipping protected wildlife parts abroad, including to the United States, were arrested in Sukabumi with evidence that included 6 hornbill beaks (18 March 2025); and 1,930 protected animal parts, including 4 helmeted hornbill beaks, 5 wreathed hornbill beaks with 621 of its feathers and 3 rhinoceros hornbill beaks, were seized in Banjar, South Kalimantan (28 October 2025). Most recently, on 27 July 2026, a joint operation in Padang arrested a suspect with 16 hornbill beaks and a sack of pangolin scales.

The pattern repeats: hornbill casques are often found with pangolin scales or tiger parts, smuggled through airports and increasingly sold online. The 2026 Padang case began with information from the public that was then analysed through online patrols, showing that reports from ordinary people make a real difference.

Evidence: [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [IDN Times — Gagalkan penyelundupan 72 paruh burung rangkong, KLHK amankan 1 wanita (17 Juli 2019)](https://www.idntimes.com/news/indonesia/zulfah-goenawan/gagalkan-penyelundupan-72-paruh-burung-rangkong-csc) · [IDN Times — Gagalkan penyelundupan 72 paruh burung rangkong, KLHK amankan 1 wanita (17 Juli 2019)](https://www.idntimes.com/news/indonesia/zulfah-goenawan/gagalkan-penyelundupan-72-paruh-burung-rangkong-csc) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Perburuan satwa liar dilindungi di Aceh memang nyata (14 November 2020)](https://mongabay.co.id/2020/11/14/perburuan-satwa-liar-dilindungi-di-aceh-memang-nyata/) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Perburuan satwa liar dilindungi di Aceh memang nyata (14 November 2020)](https://mongabay.co.id/2020/11/14/perburuan-satwa-liar-dilindungi-di-aceh-memang-nyata/) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Perburuan satwa liar dilindungi di Aceh memang nyata (14 November 2020)](https://mongabay.co.id/2020/11/14/perburuan-satwa-liar-dilindungi-di-aceh-memang-nyata/) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Foto: dimusnahkannya 71 paruh rangkong gading hasil perburuan di hutan Leuser (25 November 2021)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2021/11/25/foto-dimusnahkannya-71-paruh-rangkong-gading-hasil-perburuan-di-hutan-leuser/) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Foto: dimusnahkannya 71 paruh rangkong gading hasil perburuan di hutan Leuser (25 November 2021)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2021/11/25/foto-dimusnahkannya-71-paruh-rangkong-gading-hasil-perburuan-di-hutan-leuser/) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Foto: dimusnahkannya 71 paruh rangkong gading hasil perburuan di hutan Leuser (25 November 2021)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2021/11/25/foto-dimusnahkannya-71-paruh-rangkong-gading-hasil-perburuan-di-hutan-leuser/) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Foto: dimusnahkannya 71 paruh rangkong gading hasil perburuan di hutan Leuser (25 November 2021)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2021/11/25/foto-dimusnahkannya-71-paruh-rangkong-gading-hasil-perburuan-di-hutan-leuser/) · [Ditjen KSDAE — Berharap keadilan bagi rangkong (BBKSDA Sumatera Utara, 27 Juni 2024)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/berita/12622/Berharap-Keadilan-Bagi-Rangkong.html) · [Ditjen KSDAE — Berharap keadilan bagi rangkong (BBKSDA Sumatera Utara, 27 Juni 2024)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/berita/12622/Berharap-Keadilan-Bagi-Rangkong.html) · [Ditjen KSDAE — Berharap keadilan bagi rangkong (BBKSDA Sumatera Utara, 27 Juni 2024)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/berita/12622/Berharap-Keadilan-Bagi-Rangkong.html) · [Ditjen KSDAE — Berharap keadilan bagi rangkong (BBKSDA Sumatera Utara, 27 Juni 2024)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/berita/12622/Berharap-Keadilan-Bagi-Rangkong.html) · [Ditjen KSDAE — Berharap keadilan bagi rangkong (BBKSDA Sumatera Utara, 27 Juni 2024)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/berita/12622/Berharap-Keadilan-Bagi-Rangkong.html) · [Ditjen KSDAE — Berharap keadilan bagi rangkong (BBKSDA Sumatera Utara, 27 Juni 2024)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/berita/12622/Berharap-Keadilan-Bagi-Rangkong.html) · [Kementerian Kehutanan — Siaran pers SP.029/HKLN/PPIP/HMS.3/03/2025: Ditjen Gakkum gagalkan penyelundupan 94 spesimen TSL (19 Maret 2025)](https://www.kehutanan.go.id/news/ditjen-gakkum-gagalkan-penyelundupan-94-spesimen-tsl-dua-pelaku-dijadikan-tersangka) · [Kementerian Kehutanan — Siaran pers SP.029/HKLN/PPIP/HMS.3/03/2025: Ditjen Gakkum gagalkan penyelundupan 94 spesimen TSL (19 Maret 2025)](https://www.kehutanan.go.id/news/ditjen-gakkum-gagalkan-penyelundupan-94-spesimen-tsl-dua-pelaku-dijadikan-tersangka) · [Kementerian Kehutanan — Siaran pers SP.029/HKLN/PPIP/HMS.3/03/2025: Ditjen Gakkum gagalkan penyelundupan 94 spesimen TSL (19 Maret 2025)](https://www.kehutanan.go.id/news/ditjen-gakkum-gagalkan-penyelundupan-94-spesimen-tsl-dua-pelaku-dijadikan-tersangka) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Rangkong dan masa depan hutan Kalimantan Selatan (15 Februari 2026)](https://mongabay.co.id/2026/02/15/rangkong-dan-masa-depan-hutan-kalimantan-selatan/) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Rangkong dan masa depan hutan Kalimantan Selatan (15 Februari 2026)](https://mongabay.co.id/2026/02/15/rangkong-dan-masa-depan-hutan-kalimantan-selatan/) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Rangkong dan masa depan hutan Kalimantan Selatan (15 Februari 2026)](https://mongabay.co.id/2026/02/15/rangkong-dan-masa-depan-hutan-kalimantan-selatan/) · [Gakkum Kehutanan — Siaran pers: Kemenhut gagalkan penjualan sisik trenggiling dan paruh rangkong di Kota Padang (30 Juli 2026)](https://gakkum.kehutanan.go.id/siaran-pers/detail/kemenhut-gagalkan-penjualan-sisik-trenggiling-dan-paruh-rangkong-di-kota-padang-sumbar) · [Gakkum Kehutanan — Siaran pers: Kemenhut gagalkan penjualan sisik trenggiling dan paruh rangkong di Kota Padang (30 Juli 2026)](https://gakkum.kehutanan.go.id/siaran-pers/detail/kemenhut-gagalkan-penjualan-sisik-trenggiling-dan-paruh-rangkong-di-kota-padang-sumbar) · [Gakkum Kehutanan — Siaran pers: Kemenhut gagalkan penjualan sisik trenggiling dan paruh rangkong di Kota Padang (30 Juli 2026)](https://gakkum.kehutanan.go.id/siaran-pers/detail/kemenhut-gagalkan-penjualan-sisik-trenggiling-dan-paruh-rangkong-di-kota-padang-sumbar) · [Gakkum Kehutanan — Siaran pers: Kemenhut gagalkan penjualan sisik trenggiling dan paruh rangkong di Kota Padang (30 Juli 2026)](https://gakkum.kehutanan.go.id/siaran-pers/detail/kemenhut-gagalkan-penjualan-sisik-trenggiling-dan-paruh-rangkong-di-kota-padang-sumbar)

## Why is the helmeted hornbill critically endangered?

According to the IUCN, the helmeted hornbill is Critically Endangered because of severe hunting pressure and habitat loss, and hunting is expected to increase and spread across its range. It went from Near Threatened to Critically Endangered in just three years.

The bird lives in primary lowland forest up to 1,500 m and does best in closed-canopy blocks of more than 10,000 hectares. Forest within its range shrank by about 12%, from about 643,000 km² in 2000 to about 565,000 km² in 2012. Such forest is usually targeted for oil palm and logging; logging roads give hunters access to almost the entire population, and fires add to the damage.

It breeds very slowly. The female seals herself inside the nest hole for the whole incubation and chick-rearing period, which can last more than 160 days. Fledged chicks stay with their parents for at least six months, so a pair nests only every other year. There are no records of helmeted hornbills breeding in captivity or accepting artificial nest boxes, so wild numbers cannot be rebuilt quickly.

How many helmeted hornbills are left? There is no reliable figure. The IUCN records only that the population is decreasing, and the bird is already extinct in Singapore. Indonesia's environment and forestry ministry says survey methods differ; samples from several sites show 0.2–2.1 birds per km² in Kalimantan and Sumatra, with about 27.4 million hectares of dryland forest still potentially suitable.

Evidence: [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [Indonesia.go.id — Sekelumit cerita upaya penyelamatan burung besar (29 Oktober 2019, arsip Wayback Machine)](https://web.archive.org/web/20220813205636/https://www.indonesia.go.id/ragam/keanekaragaman-hayati/sosial/sekelumit-cerita-upaya-penyelamatan-burung-besar) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [ANTARA Kalbar — Cegah kepunahan rangkong gading (25 Oktober 2018)](https://kalbar.antaranews.com/berita/366678/cegah-kepunahan-rangkong-gading) · [ANTARA Kalbar — Cegah kepunahan rangkong gading (25 Oktober 2018)](https://kalbar.antaranews.com/berita/366678/cegah-kepunahan-rangkong-gading) · [ANTARA Kalbar — Cegah kepunahan rangkong gading (25 Oktober 2018)](https://kalbar.antaranews.com/berita/366678/cegah-kepunahan-rangkong-gading)

## How does poaching harm helmeted hornbills and their families?

Many helmeted hornbills are shot. Micro-CT scans of 20 skulls from a single 2013 seizure in Hong Kong found bullet fragments in 13, seven of them inside the casque; poachers appear to aim at the conspicuous casque from the ground. Several birds had lived long after being shot, as shown by bone healed around the bullets, so birds that escape may live on with gunshot wounds. In 2013, officers in a national park in Jambi arrested nine suspected helmeted hornbill poachers and confiscated their high-powered air rifles.

Killing one bird can wipe out a family. While breeding, the female is sealed in the nest hole for about 160 days and the male brings food for her and the chick. If he is killed, the chick is almost certain to die; the female may break out, but she may not survive and is unlikely to breed again for years. That is why killing one male is often described as killing a whole family.

Poaching also hits other species. Besides its casque, the helmeted hornbill is also hunted for its feathers, and rhinoceros hornbills can be shot as bycatch by hunters who are after helmeted hornbills.

Evidence: [Chan et al. (2026). Characterization and 3D imaging of ballistic damage in the casques of helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil). Integrative Organismal Biology](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13100508/) · [Chan et al. (2026). Characterization and 3D imaging of ballistic damage in the casques of helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil). Integrative Organismal Biology](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13100508/) · [Chan et al. (2026). Characterization and 3D imaging of ballistic damage in the casques of helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil). Integrative Organismal Biology](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13100508/) · [Chan et al. (2026). Characterization and 3D imaging of ballistic damage in the casques of helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil). Integrative Organismal Biology](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13100508/) · [Chan et al. (2026). Characterization and 3D imaging of ballistic damage in the casques of helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil). Integrative Organismal Biology](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13100508/) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [Indonesia.go.id — Sekelumit cerita upaya penyelamatan burung besar (29 Oktober 2019, arsip Wayback Machine)](https://web.archive.org/web/20220813205636/https://www.indonesia.go.id/ragam/keanekaragaman-hayati/sosial/sekelumit-cerita-upaya-penyelamatan-burung-besar) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Rhinoceros Hornbill Buceros rhinoceros (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682450/184960407)

## Why are hornbills called farmers of the forest, and where do they nest?

Asian hornbills live almost entirely on fruit, about 99% of their diet, and drop the seeds far from the parent tree, helping the forest regenerate. The South Sulawesi conservation agency (BBKSDA) calls the knobbed hornbill a "farmer of the forest from the sky". Indonesia's environment and forestry ministry says the helmeted hornbill disperses fruit-tree seeds well because it can fly as far as 100 km.

What do helmeted hornbills eat? Mostly figs, and they travel widely to find fruiting trees. That is why the IUCN calls the helmeted hornbill a key seed disperser in lowland forest. It is also a primary disperser of strangler fig seeds, a keystone plant for forest structure. It has also been recorded eating small animals such as squirrels, snakes and birds, and even other hornbills.

The evidence comes from Indonesia. At Tangkoko Nature Reserve in North Sulawesi, a researcher compared plots under 20 active knobbed hornbill nests with control plots behind them. Far more seedlings of the trees whose fruit the hornbills eat germinated under the nests, and they survived for at least 12 months, showing that the hornbills were dispersing seeds effectively.

Hornbills need big trees, with nest holes 20–50 metres above the ground. Helmeted hornbills use the largest trees, mainly dipterocarps in Thailand, and appear to need a perch above the hole where the male can sit while feeding the female. Knobbed hornbills nest in natural cavities in tall, large-girth trees and often return to the same nest. The female seals the entrance with mud, droppings and food remains until only a narrow slit is left.

So felling big trees directly removes nest sites. The law protects nests too: Law 32/2024 bans damaging, taking or trading the eggs and nests of protected animals.

Evidence: [Indonesia.go.id — Sekelumit cerita upaya penyelamatan burung besar (29 Oktober 2019, arsip Wayback Machine)](https://web.archive.org/web/20220813205636/https://www.indonesia.go.id/ragam/keanekaragaman-hayati/sosial/sekelumit-cerita-upaya-penyelamatan-burung-besar) · [BBKSDA Sulawesi Selatan — Rangkong Sulawesi: penjaga hutan dan simbol kesetiaan dari langit Sulawesi (27 Juli 2025)](https://bbksdasulsel.ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/rangkong-sulawesi-penjaga-hutan-dan-simbol-kesetiaan-dari-langit-sulawesi) · [BBKSDA Sulawesi Selatan — Rangkong Sulawesi: penjaga hutan dan simbol kesetiaan dari langit Sulawesi (27 Juli 2025)](https://bbksdasulsel.ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/rangkong-sulawesi-penjaga-hutan-dan-simbol-kesetiaan-dari-langit-sulawesi) · [ANTARA Kalbar — Cegah kepunahan rangkong gading (25 Oktober 2018)](https://kalbar.antaranews.com/berita/366678/cegah-kepunahan-rangkong-gading) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [Chan et al. (2026). Characterization and 3D imaging of ballistic damage in the casques of helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil). Integrative Organismal Biology](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13100508/) · [Chan et al. (2026). Characterization and 3D imaging of ballistic damage in the casques of helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil). Integrative Organismal Biology](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13100508/) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [Kinnaird (1998). Evidence for effective seed dispersal by the Sulawesi red-knobbed hornbill, Aceros cassidix. Biotropica 30(1), abstract](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7429.1998.tb00368.x) · [Kinnaird (1998). Evidence for effective seed dispersal by the Sulawesi red-knobbed hornbill, Aceros cassidix. Biotropica 30(1), abstract](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7429.1998.tb00368.x) · [Kinnaird (1998). Evidence for effective seed dispersal by the Sulawesi red-knobbed hornbill, Aceros cassidix. Biotropica 30(1), abstract](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7429.1998.tb00368.x) · [Indonesia.go.id — Sekelumit cerita upaya penyelamatan burung besar (29 Oktober 2019, arsip Wayback Machine)](https://web.archive.org/web/20220813205636/https://www.indonesia.go.id/ragam/keanekaragaman-hayati/sosial/sekelumit-cerita-upaya-penyelamatan-burung-besar) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Knobbed Hornbill Rhyticeros cassidix (assessed 2024)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682525/258476814) · [BBKSDA Sulawesi Selatan — Rangkong Sulawesi: penjaga hutan dan simbol kesetiaan dari langit Sulawesi (27 Juli 2025)](https://bbksdasulsel.ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/rangkong-sulawesi-penjaga-hutan-dan-simbol-kesetiaan-dari-langit-sulawesi) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024)

## How many hornbill species live in Indonesia, and are they all protected?

There are 62 hornbill species in the world, 32 of them in Asia, and 13 live in Indonesia. Sumatra has the most (nine), followed by Kalimantan (eight) and Java (three), while Wallacea and Papua have four. Three species are found only in Indonesia: the Sumba hornbill, the knobbed hornbill and the Sulawesi hornbill.

All 13 are in the P.106/2018 annex, as entries 240 to 252: Anorrhinus galeritus, Anthracoceros albirostris, Anthracoceros malayanus, Berenicornis comatus, Buceros bicornis (great hornbill), Buceros rhinoceros (rhinoceros hornbill), Rhabdotorrhinus corrugatus, Rhabdotorrhinus exarhatus (Sulawesi hornbill), Rhinoplax vigil (helmeted hornbill), Rhyticeros cassidix (knobbed hornbill), Rhyticeros everetti (Sumba hornbill), Rhyticeros plicatus (Blyth's or Papuan hornbill) and Rhyticeros undulatus (wreathed hornbill).

The rhinoceros hornbill, whose casque curves upwards, has been Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2018. Forest in its range is estimated to have shrunk by 43.8% over three generations. It is hunted for food and trade and for its casque and tail feathers, used in ceremonial dress, and can be shot as bycatch by helmeted hornbill poachers. It is in CITES Appendix II.

The knobbed hornbill lives only on Sulawesi and nearby small islands and is South Sulawesi's mascot. The IUCN assessed it as Vulnerable in 2024 because forest cover in its range is expected to fall by 31% over three generations. Other threats include gold mining, fire, hunting for meat and the illegal casque trade. It is in CITES Appendix II.

Blyth's or Papuan hornbill in Papua is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN and is in CITES Appendix II, but it is still protected under Indonesian law because it is listed in the P.106/2018 annex. In short, trading the bill, casque or feathers of any hornbill species is an offence.

Evidence: [Indonesia.go.id — Sekelumit cerita upaya penyelamatan burung besar (29 Oktober 2019, arsip Wayback Machine)](https://web.archive.org/web/20220813205636/https://www.indonesia.go.id/ragam/keanekaragaman-hayati/sosial/sekelumit-cerita-upaya-penyelamatan-burung-besar) · [Indonesia.go.id — Sekelumit cerita upaya penyelamatan burung besar (29 Oktober 2019, arsip Wayback Machine)](https://web.archive.org/web/20220813205636/https://www.indonesia.go.id/ragam/keanekaragaman-hayati/sosial/sekelumit-cerita-upaya-penyelamatan-burung-besar) · [Indonesia.go.id — Sekelumit cerita upaya penyelamatan burung besar (29 Oktober 2019, arsip Wayback Machine)](https://web.archive.org/web/20220813205636/https://www.indonesia.go.id/ragam/keanekaragaman-hayati/sosial/sekelumit-cerita-upaya-penyelamatan-burung-besar) · [Indonesia.go.id — Sekelumit cerita upaya penyelamatan burung besar (29 Oktober 2019, arsip Wayback Machine)](https://web.archive.org/web/20220813205636/https://www.indonesia.go.id/ragam/keanekaragaman-hayati/sosial/sekelumit-cerita-upaya-penyelamatan-burung-besar) · [Indonesia.go.id — Sekelumit cerita upaya penyelamatan burung besar (29 Oktober 2019, arsip Wayback Machine)](https://web.archive.org/web/20220813205636/https://www.indonesia.go.id/ragam/keanekaragaman-hayati/sosial/sekelumit-cerita-upaya-penyelamatan-burung-besar) · [Permen LHK No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, Lampiran: jenis satwa dilindungi (Bucerotidae, no. 240–252)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf) · [Permen LHK No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, Lampiran: jenis satwa dilindungi (Bucerotidae, no. 240–252)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf) · [Permen LHK No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, Lampiran: jenis satwa dilindungi (Bucerotidae, no. 240–252)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf) · [ANTARA Kalbar — Cek kembali gambar enggang untuk maskot resmi Provinsi Kalbar (27 Januari 2021)](https://kalbar.antaranews.com/berita/456820/cek-kembali-gambar-enggang-untuk-maskot-resmi-provinsi-kalbar) · [IUCN Red List: Rhinoceros Hornbill Buceros rhinoceros (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682450/184960407) · [IUCN Red List: Rhinoceros Hornbill Buceros rhinoceros (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682450/184960407) · [IUCN Red List: Rhinoceros Hornbill Buceros rhinoceros (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682450/184960407) · [IUCN Red List: Rhinoceros Hornbill Buceros rhinoceros (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682450/184960407) · [IUCN Red List: Rhinoceros Hornbill Buceros rhinoceros (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682450/184960407) · [Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and CITES Secretariat) — Buceros rhinoceros, CITES listing history (API data)](https://speciesplus.net/api/v1/taxon_concepts/6237) · [IUCN Red List: Knobbed Hornbill Rhyticeros cassidix (assessed 2024)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682525/258476814) · [BBKSDA Sulawesi Selatan — Rangkong Sulawesi: penjaga hutan dan simbol kesetiaan dari langit Sulawesi (27 Juli 2025)](https://bbksdasulsel.ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/rangkong-sulawesi-penjaga-hutan-dan-simbol-kesetiaan-dari-langit-sulawesi) · [Indonesia.go.id — Sekelumit cerita upaya penyelamatan burung besar (29 Oktober 2019, arsip Wayback Machine)](https://web.archive.org/web/20220813205636/https://www.indonesia.go.id/ragam/keanekaragaman-hayati/sosial/sekelumit-cerita-upaya-penyelamatan-burung-besar) · [IUCN Red List: Knobbed Hornbill Rhyticeros cassidix (assessed 2024)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682525/258476814) · [IUCN Red List: Knobbed Hornbill Rhyticeros cassidix (assessed 2024)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682525/258476814) · [IUCN Red List: Knobbed Hornbill Rhyticeros cassidix (assessed 2024)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682525/258476814) · [IUCN Red List: Knobbed Hornbill Rhyticeros cassidix (assessed 2024)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682525/258476814) · [Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and CITES Secretariat) — Aceros (Rhyticeros) cassidix, CITES listing history (API data)](https://speciesplus.net/api/v1/taxon_concepts/10026) · [IUCN Red List: Papuan Hornbill Rhyticeros plicatus (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682544/184674368) · [Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and CITES Secretariat) — Rhyticeros plicatus, CITES listing history (API data)](https://speciesplus.net/api/v1/taxon_concepts/7050) · [UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024)

## What is the penalty for poaching or selling helmeted hornbill casques?

Hunting or killing a hornbill, keeping or selling a dead one, trading its bill, casque or feathers, taking or damaging its eggs and nest, and selling online without a permit are all punishable under Article 40A(1) of Law 32/2024. As originally enacted, this article set three to 15 years in prison and a fine of category IV to VII.

Law 1/2026 on Criminal Penalty Adjustment, in force since 2 January 2026, removed special minimum sentences from laws outside the Criminal Code. After the adjustment, Article 40A(1) carries up to 15 years in prison and/or a fine of up to category VII, which is Rp5 billion. Moving a hornbill or its parts to another place or out of the country falls under Article 40A(2), which now carries up to 10 years and/or a fine of up to category VI (Rp2 billion). Penalties can be increased by a third if the crime is committed using information technology (Article 40C(2)). Some press releases and news reports still quote a three-year minimum; since 2 January 2026 the adjusted provisions apply.

Sentences under the old law were much lighter. The owner of the 71 helmeted hornbill beaks in the 2020 Aceh case was charged under Law 5/1990, which then carried up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp100 million, and was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months and a Rp50 million fine.

Harming an animal can also be prosecuted under Article 337 of the new Criminal Code (Law 1/2023), in force since 2 January 2026, with up to 18 months in prison if the animal is ill for more than a week, disabled, seriously injured or killed. Article 66A of Law 41/2014 bans abusing or misusing animals, including animals living in their habitat, and requires anyone who knows of such abuse to report it to the authorities.

Evidence: [UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/337869/uu-no-1-tahun-2026) · [UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/337869/uu-no-1-tahun-2026) · [UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/337869/uu-no-1-tahun-2026) · [Gakkum Kehutanan — Siaran pers: Kemenhut gagalkan penjualan sisik trenggiling dan paruh rangkong di Kota Padang (30 Juli 2026)](https://gakkum.kehutanan.go.id/siaran-pers/detail/kemenhut-gagalkan-penjualan-sisik-trenggiling-dan-paruh-rangkong-di-kota-padang-sumbar) · [UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/337869/uu-no-1-tahun-2026) · [UU No. 1 Tahun 2023 tentang KUHP (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/234935/uu-no-1-tahun-2023) · [UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024) · [Gakkum Kehutanan — Siaran pers: Kemenhut gagalkan penjualan sisik trenggiling dan paruh rangkong di Kota Padang (30 Juli 2026)](https://gakkum.kehutanan.go.id/siaran-pers/detail/kemenhut-gagalkan-penjualan-sisik-trenggiling-dan-paruh-rangkong-di-kota-padang-sumbar) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Perburuan satwa liar dilindungi di Aceh memang nyata (14 November 2020)](https://mongabay.co.id/2020/11/14/perburuan-satwa-liar-dilindungi-di-aceh-memang-nyata/) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Foto: dimusnahkannya 71 paruh rangkong gading hasil perburuan di hutan Leuser (25 November 2021)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2021/11/25/foto-dimusnahkannya-71-paruh-rangkong-gading-hasil-perburuan-di-hutan-leuser/) · [UU No. 1 Tahun 2023 tentang KUHP (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/234935/uu-no-1-tahun-2023) · [UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/337869/uu-no-1-tahun-2026) · [UU No. 41 Tahun 2014 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 18 Tahun 2009 (Peternakan dan Kesehatan Hewan), JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/38801/uu-no-41-tahun-2014) · [UU No. 41 Tahun 2014 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 18 Tahun 2009 (Peternakan dan Kesehatan Hewan), JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/38801/uu-no-41-tahun-2014) · [UU No. 41 Tahun 2014 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 18 Tahun 2009 (Peternakan dan Kesehatan Hewan), JDIH BPK](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/38801/uu-no-41-tahun-2014)

## What is Indonesia doing to save the helmeted hornbill?

Internationally, Indonesia proposed a dedicated resolution on the conservation of and trade in helmeted hornbills at the 17th CITES Conference of the Parties in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2016. It was adopted by consensus as Resolution Conf. 17.11, addressed to both range states and consumer countries.

At home, the Environment and Forestry Ministry drew up a Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (SRAK) for the helmeted hornbill through public consultations in Sumatra and Kalimantan, followed by a national consultation in Jakarta on 23 November 2017. The plan was adopted by Ministerial Decree SK.215/MENLHK/KSDAE/KSA.2/5/2018 of 2 May 2018 and runs from 2018 to 2028. It has five strategies: population and habitat management; rules and policy; partnerships and cooperation; public communication and awareness; and funding. The plan implements CITES Resolution 17.11.

Law enforcement is now being strengthened through intelligence work, online patrols, tracing of communications and cooperation across regions and borders. Seized items are destroyed once a verdict is final; the 71 helmeted hornbill beaks from the Aceh case, for example, were burned on 24 November 2021.

Live hornbills that are seized or handed in are handled under Environment and Forestry Regulation 17/2024 on species rescue: rehabilitation through quarantine with physical and health checks, isolation and recovery of natural behaviour, then release with the local conservation office, recorded in an official report. A rhinoceros hornbill seized by the North Sumatra police and BBKSDA, for example, was released in Langkat district on 29 October 2024. The North Sumatra BBKSDA warns that released animals are not guaranteed to be safe from poachers.

The IUCN says the most urgent steps are to enforce the law against illegal hunting, to support livelihoods in forest communities so that the incentive to poach is reduced, and to protect the remaining lowland forest.

Evidence: [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [ANTARA Kalbar — Cegah kepunahan rangkong gading (25 Oktober 2018)](https://kalbar.antaranews.com/berita/366678/cegah-kepunahan-rangkong-gading) · [Ditjen KSDAE — Siaran pers SP.366/HUMAS/PP/HMS.3/11/2017: Selamatkan rangkong gading Indonesia (23 November 2017)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/publikasi/siaran-pers/selamatkan-rangkong-gading-indonesia-rQHSDwbx/) · [Ditjen KSDAE — Siaran pers SP.366/HUMAS/PP/HMS.3/11/2017: Selamatkan rangkong gading Indonesia (23 November 2017)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/publikasi/siaran-pers/selamatkan-rangkong-gading-indonesia-rQHSDwbx/) · [ANTARA Kalbar — Cegah kepunahan rangkong gading (25 Oktober 2018)](https://kalbar.antaranews.com/berita/366678/cegah-kepunahan-rangkong-gading) · [ANTARA Kalbar — Cegah kepunahan rangkong gading (25 Oktober 2018)](https://kalbar.antaranews.com/berita/366678/cegah-kepunahan-rangkong-gading) · [ANTARA Kalbar — Cegah kepunahan rangkong gading (25 Oktober 2018)](https://kalbar.antaranews.com/berita/366678/cegah-kepunahan-rangkong-gading) · [Ditjen KSDAE — Siaran pers SP.366/HUMAS/PP/HMS.3/11/2017: Selamatkan rangkong gading Indonesia (23 November 2017)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/publikasi/siaran-pers/selamatkan-rangkong-gading-indonesia-rQHSDwbx/) · [Gakkum Kehutanan — Siaran pers: Kemenhut gagalkan penjualan sisik trenggiling dan paruh rangkong di Kota Padang (30 Juli 2026)](https://gakkum.kehutanan.go.id/siaran-pers/detail/kemenhut-gagalkan-penjualan-sisik-trenggiling-dan-paruh-rangkong-di-kota-padang-sumbar) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Foto: dimusnahkannya 71 paruh rangkong gading hasil perburuan di hutan Leuser (25 November 2021)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2021/11/25/foto-dimusnahkannya-71-paruh-rangkong-gading-hasil-perburuan-di-hutan-leuser/) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Foto: dimusnahkannya 71 paruh rangkong gading hasil perburuan di hutan Leuser (25 November 2021)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2021/11/25/foto-dimusnahkannya-71-paruh-rangkong-gading-hasil-perburuan-di-hutan-leuser/) · [Mongabay Indonesia — Foto: dimusnahkannya 71 paruh rangkong gading hasil perburuan di hutan Leuser (25 November 2021)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2021/11/25/foto-dimusnahkannya-71-paruh-rangkong-gading-hasil-perburuan-di-hutan-leuser/) · [Permen LHK No. 17 Tahun 2024 tentang Penyelamatan Jenis Satwa (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/309466/permen-lhk-no-17-tahun-2024) · [Permen LHK No. 17 Tahun 2024 tentang Penyelamatan Jenis Satwa (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/309466/permen-lhk-no-17-tahun-2024) · [Permen LHK No. 17 Tahun 2024 tentang Penyelamatan Jenis Satwa (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/309466/permen-lhk-no-17-tahun-2024) · [Ditjen KSDAE — Lepasliar satwa dan tantangannya (BBKSDA Sumatera Utara, 6 November 2024)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/berita/12829/Lepasliar-Satwa-dan-Tantangannya.html) · [Ditjen KSDAE — Lepasliar satwa dan tantangannya (BBKSDA Sumatera Utara, 6 November 2024)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/berita/12829/Lepasliar-Satwa-dan-Tantangannya.html) · [Ditjen KSDAE — Lepasliar satwa dan tantangannya (BBKSDA Sumatera Utara, 6 November 2024)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/berita/12829/Lepasliar-Satwa-dan-Tantangannya.html) · [Ditjen KSDAE — Lepasliar satwa dan tantangannya (BBKSDA Sumatera Utara, 6 November 2024)](https://ksdae.kehutanan.go.id/berita/12829/Lepasliar-Satwa-dan-Tantangannya.html) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039) · [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039)

## How to help

- Do not buy hornbill beaks, heads, carved casques, jewellery or feathers of any hornbill species, including items sold as antiques or souvenirs, in Indonesia or abroad.
- Do not like, comment on or share posts selling hornbills or their parts. Report them with the platform's reporting tool.
- Seen hornbill beaks or live hornbills for sale? Do not contact the seller. Keep screenshots showing the account, link, location and date, then report through the Gakkum Kehutanan complaints app (pengaduan.gakkum.kehutanan.go.id), by email to pengaduan.gakkum@kehutanan.go.id, by phone on (021) 5790 2925, or to the local BKSDA. If a crime is under way, call the police on 110.
- In Kalimantan you can also call the BKSDA wildlife rescue hotlines for West Kalimantan 0811-577-6767, Central Kalimantan 0811-5218-500 or East Kalimantan 0821-1333-8181.
- Found an injured hornbill or a hornbill chick on the ground? Do not catch, hold or move it yourself. Call the BKSDA and give the exact location. Bitten, scratched or injured by a wild animal? Go to a health facility straight away.
- If you or someone you know is keeping a hornbill, contact the BKSDA to hand it over. Do not release it into a forest yourself.
- When sharing seizure news, do not spread casque prices. Stress the penalties instead, because publicising the money involved risks drawing in new poachers.
- Want to support an organisation that works with hornbills? PanduanHewan does not take donations. Before giving, check the organisation's fundraising permit, legal registration, financial reports and verifiable cooperation with the BKSDA, using PanduanHewan's checklist on how to check an appeal.
- Want to volunteer? Choose programmes that limit direct contact with animals, because confiscated animals need quarantine and rehabilitation. Offers to hold, hand-feed or take selfies with a hornbill are a red flag.

## Common questions

### Is the helmeted hornbill protected?

Yes. The helmeted hornbill is entry 248 in the annex to Regulation P.106/2018, so Article 21(2) of Law 32/2024 bans hunting, keeping, transporting and trading it, including its beak, casque and feathers. Internationally, it is in CITES Appendix I.

### What is the helmeted hornbill's casque used for?

The bird uses its solid casque for aerial jousting. Traffickers carve its thick keratin into ornaments sold as "red ivory", mainly to China. In Indonesia, trading it is a crime.

### How much is a helmeted hornbill casque worth?

PanduanHewan does not publish prices. Trading helmeted hornbill casques is banned and carries up to 15 years in prison. Researchers warn that reports highlighting the money without mentioning penalties risk drawing more people into the trade.

### Where does the helmeted hornbill live?

The helmeted hornbill lives in primary lowland forest in Indonesia (Sumatra and Kalimantan), Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand and Myanmar. It is extinct in Singapore. In Kalimantan it is known as enggang gading and is West Kalimantan's mascot.

### What is the helmeted hornbill called in Indonesian?

In Indonesian it is called rangkong gading or enggang gading. Enggang gading translates as "ivory hornbill", a reference to its solid, ivory-like casque.

### Are the rhinoceros hornbill and wreathed hornbill protected too?

Yes. The rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros) is entry 245 and the wreathed hornbill (Rhyticeros undulatus) is entry 252 in the P.106/2018 annex. All 13 Indonesian hornbill species are listed there.

### Can I buy an antique hornbill ivory carving abroad?

Best not. The helmeted hornbill is in CITES Appendix I, so commercial international trade in its parts is not permitted. Auction research found both a genuine antique market and a speculative one, and illegal trade followed the auction market. Buying "antiques" can still feed demand.

### How do I report hornbill casque trade?

Report through the Gakkum Kehutanan complaints app (pengaduan.gakkum.kehutanan.go.id), which accepts uploaded evidence, by email to pengaduan.gakkum@kehutanan.go.id or setditjengakkum@kehutanan.go.id, by phone on (021) 5790 2925, or to the local BKSDA. In West Kalimantan, call the BKSDA hotline on 0811-577-6767. If a crime is under way, call the police on 110.

Readers outside Indonesia can [fund frontline animal rescue](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/) with World Animal Rescue Network. Related site: PanduanHewan’s founder is also a director of World Animal Rescue Network. PanduanHewan does not accept donations.

## Sources

- [Permen LHK No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, Lampiran: jenis satwa dilindungi (Bucerotidae, no. 240–252)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf)
- [IUCN Red List: Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil (assessed 2020)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22682464/184587039)
- [Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and CITES Secretariat) — Rhinoplax vigil, CITES listing history (API data)](https://speciesplus.net/api/v1/taxon_concepts/5769)
- [Beastall, Shepherd, Hadiprakarsa & Martyr (2016). Trade in the Helmeted Hornbill Rhinoplax vigil: the 'ivory hornbill'. Bird Conservation International 26: 137–146](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270916000010)
- [Surapaneni et al. (2025). The helmeted hornbill casque is reinforced by a bundle of exceptionally thick, rod-like trabeculae. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11829324/)
- [UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/337869/uu-no-1-tahun-2026)
- [Indonesia.go.id — Sekelumit cerita upaya penyelamatan burung besar (29 Oktober 2019, arsip Wayback Machine)](https://web.archive.org/web/20220813205636/https://www.indonesia.go.id/ragam/keanekaragaman-hayati/sosial/sekelumit-cerita-upaya-penyelamatan-burung-besar)
- [UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/295135/uu-no-32-tahun-2024)
- [ANTARA Kalbar — Cek kembali gambar enggang untuk maskot resmi Provinsi Kalbar (27 Januari 2021)](https://kalbar.antaranews.com/berita/456820/cek-kembali-gambar-enggang-untuk-maskot-resmi-provinsi-kalbar)
- [Chan et al. (2026). Characterization and 3D imaging of ballistic damage in the casques of helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil). Integrative Organismal Biology](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13100508/)
- [Assessing the legal, illegal, and gray ornamental trade of the critically endangered helmeted hornbill. Conservation Biology (2024), abstract](https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14358)
- [ANTARA Kalbar — Cegah kepunahan rangkong gading (25 Oktober 2018)](https://kalbar.antaranews.com/berita/366678/cegah-kepunahan-rangkong-gading)
- [IDN Times — Gagalkan penyelundupan 72 paruh burung rangkong, KLHK amankan 1 wanita (17 Juli 2019)](https://www.idntimes.com/news/indonesia/zulfah-goenawan/gagalkan-penyelundupan-72-paruh-burung-rangkong-csc)
- [Mongabay Indonesia — Perburuan satwa liar dilindungi di Aceh memang nyata (14 November 2020)](https://mongabay.co.id/2020/11/14/perburuan-satwa-liar-dilindungi-di-aceh-memang-nyata/)
- [Mongabay Indonesia — Foto: dimusnahkannya 71 paruh rangkong gading hasil perburuan di hutan Leuser (25 November 2021)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2021/11/25/foto-dimusnahkannya-71-paruh-rangkong-gading-hasil-perburuan-di-hutan-leuser/)
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