In a world first, three Oriental Pied Hornbill eggs have been successfully incubated and hatched at Jurong Bird Park's Breeding and Research Centre.

The three eggs, which were abandoned by their mother, were rescued from Pulau Ubin by rangers from the National Parks Board.

It is usually hard to gain access to their eggs as the mother bird usually seals herself and the eggs in the nest, depending solely on the male for food. No attempt has been made to artificially incubate them prior to this.

The Oriental Pied Hornbill is native to Southeast Asia and plays an important role in the ecosystem by dispersing the seeds of fruit trees. It was not seen in Singapore for 140 years prior to 1994. Since then, its numbers have increased and now stands at 100 in the wild.