Two hornbills (above) flew over to my balcony one evening this week, staying for a good 10 minutes or so. They did not seem afraid of human beings. One of them hovered around my planter box railings, taking peeks through my window.

While they were harmless, I panicked initially and did not know how I should react. They are, after all, huge birds and were a bit too close to my home for comfort. I closed my glass door to prevent them from flying into my hall and left them alone. They subsequently flew away.

I heard later from a colleague that hornbills can become a nuisance, like when they ate fruits on her tree. I also learnt that hornbills once flew into an HDB flat and caused a mess.

I have noticed more and more wild animals living closer to us in our urban city. While they are important to the ecosystem, how can we learn to coexist with these animals without causing alarm or even harm to each other?

Are there plans to do more to educate urbanites to appreciate and know how to better respond to wild animals which are here to stay?

Fok Chui Kwan