“Hornbills have both ecological and symbolic importance. Restoring the population will not only help to secure survival of the species but it will also re-establish the forest’s ecological balance. Symbolically, the return of this iconic bird species shows that losses of forests and wildlife can be reversed and there is hope for the future of northern Thailand’s spectacular forest ecosystems”, according to Dr. Stephen Elliot, Director of FORRU, The Forest Restoration Research Unit of Chiang Mai University.