Craze for hornbill 'ivory' pushes bird to brink in Borneo

A striking bird with monochrome plumage and a formidable "beak", the helmeted hornbill is being hunted to extinction, one of the latest victims of a thriving global trade in exotic wildlife.

For decades poachers in Borneo's western forests focused on capturing orangutans and sun bears, but in the past few years a surge in demand for hornbill "ivory" has pushed the avian species to the brink.

The product has become so popular - wealthy collectors are keen to show off their status by acquiring rare or unusual animals - it is fetching up to five times the price of elephant tusk on the black market.