Hornbills need heroes: my experience at the CITES CoP20 in Samarkand

By Anya Dabite Abeh

25 January, 2025

Anya Dabite Abeh stands inside the CITES CoP20 venue in Samarkand. Photo by Nico Arcilla.

Attending the 20^th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES CoP20) meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, was a defining moment in my conservation journey. South Africa’s Mabula Ground Hornbill Project sponsored my trip to participate in this meeting, thanks to the generous invitation of Lucy Kemp and Daniella Skinner. Our mission was to join efforts to advocate for a proposal to protect African hornbills put forth by Nigeria with support from Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

Anya stands at the entrance of the CITES CoP20 venue. Photo by Nico Arcilla.

It was my first time leaving Cameroon and my first time engaging directly with international conservation diplomacy, a space where science and politics meet. Standing among experienced delegates from across the world, I saw first-hand how species are evaluated, debated and ultimately protected or left vulnerable on the global stage. It was intense, enlightening, and deeply motivating.

Banner announcing the African hornbills side event at the CITES CoP20, courtesy of the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project.

Together with colleagues at IBCP, the University of Göttingen, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, I spoke at a side event sponsored by the Nigerian delegation to provide information and an opportunity to discuss their proposal to provide protection from uncontrolled international trade to two African hornbill genera, Ceratogymna and Bycanistes, by placing them on CITES Appendix II. The purpose of listing species on CITES Appendix II is to effectively control the trade in these species, and the parties to CITES, which include most of the world’s countries, are required to issue export permits for trade in such species. Research has shown that 95% of hornbills entering the USA through international trade are African, and Cameroon is a major exporter.

Anya presents at the CITES CoP20. Photo by Daniella Skinner.

My presentation, entitled “Our Hornbills Need Us,” is something I will never forget. I spoke about the pressure these birds face from habitat loss and hunting, international trade and African voodoo markets, and how their biology makes them extremely sensitive to population declines. In this region of Africa there are huge markets for voodoo, or belief-based use, for which enormous numbers of animals are killed, most of which may never be intercepted crossing borders. I was able to share my experiences in the field in Cameroon, witnessing hornbill hunting and trade firsthand. Seeing the room respond to the evidence reminded me that even voices from field-level work can influence global decisions when backed by truth and experience. After my presentation, I answered questions from many people in the audience about my efforts for research, conservation, and education.

Anya speaking at the CITES CoP20 African Hornbill Side-Event. Photo by Daniella Skinner.

The morning following our presentations, the hornbill proposal would be coming up for a decision by the CITES parties, and that decision would depend on the level of support from the delegates and the countries they represented. When the meeting chair introduced the proposal the following morning, the CITES delegate representing Nigeria made a powerful speech advocating for it. What happened next was truly amazing.

Anya witnessing the CITES CoP20 proceedings at IBCP’s observer station. Photo by Nico Arcilla.   

After the Nigerian delegate presented the proposal, the meeting chair opened the floor for comments from other country delegates. As members of observer organizations, we sat further back in the room and could listen to their statements through interpreters through headphones provided for this purpose. We listened to delegate after delegate speaking in favor of the proposal to protect African hornbills. These delegates represented countries all over the world, including both range state countries such as Benin and the Central African Republic, as well as countries across the world, such as Japan and the USA, all speaking in favor of protecting African hornbills. It was incredibly moving.

An observer’s view of the CITES CoP20 in action. Photo by Nico Arcilla.

After the country delegates had spoken, the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project spoke on behalf of 19 observer organizations, including the Wildlife Conservation Society, Born Free USA, IBCP, in favor of the proposal to protect African hornbills. In situations like this, when the meeting chair sees overwhelming support and no opposition, CITES can adopt proposals “by consensus” – this simply means that due to the wide support shown for a proposal, they don’t need to put it to a vote, because the outcome is already clear. The proposal thus passed, and we were elated. This moment, knowing that African hornbills would be officially added to Appendix II, felt like the culmination of years of concern finally turning into action. Hornbills need heroes, and on this day, they got them!

Nigerian CITES delegates and other participants from the CoP20 African hornbill side event, including representatives from the University of Göttingen, the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project, and BirdLife International. Photo by Nico Arcilla.

For species that have been traded for casques, voodoo, skins, taxidermy and the exotic pet market, this listing is not symbolic. It is a concrete step that demands regulation, monitoring and accountability. Beyond witnessing the decision itself, the experience changed me. I understood more deeply that conservation is not only field surveys or community work; it is also negotiation, diplomacy and the courage to advocate for species before an international audience. It takes evidence, persistence and unity across borders. It also requires voices from the regions where these species actually live, voices that have often been missing. For someone from Cameroon, which is both a range state and major exporter of these birds, to be able to speak for hornbills that many people have never seen was very powerful.

Celebrating after the CITES decision to place African hornbills on Appendix II, providing urgently needed protections in international trade. Photo courtesy of Nico Arcilla.

This achievement is not the end of the story. The CITES decision gives us hope and time, but positive outcomes are by no means assured. It is now our responsibility to ensure that trade remains controlled, that forests stay standing and that communities are partners in conservation rather than bystanders. Thankfully, my participation in this meeting allowed me to strengthen some of my existing friendships and conservation partnerships and also to make connections with many more like-minded people who can help us in these efforts.

Anya and fellow CITES CoP20 participants in Registan Square, Samarkand. Photo courtesy of Nico Arcilla.

Leaving Uzbekistan, I felt proud, humbled and more committed than ever. This experience reminded me why I chose conservation in the first place: species like hornbills cannot speak for themselves, but their survival depends on whether we choose to speak for them. CoP20 was a victory, one built on science, collaboration and determination and it strengthened my resolve to continue protecting the forests and wildlife of Africa with even greater focus and courage.

Anya outside the CITES CoP20 venue in Samarkand. Photo by Nico Arcilla.

When I returned to Cameroon, I was quickly reminded of how much work we have ahead of us. On January 20^th, the Cameroonian border patrol intercepted a group of merchants bound for Nigeria. At first glance, their cargo looked ordinary. On top of the green container were shoes and clothes, perfectly normal goods that Cameroonian traders bring every day to sell in Nigeria. However, during inspection, officers discovered that these items were just a cover concealing wildlife body parts underneath.

White-thighed Hornbill (Bycanistes albotibialis; above) and Black-casqued Hornbill (Ceratogymna atrata; below) heads in part of a shipment of 65 hornbill heads and other wildlife body parts destined for Nigeria that were intercepted by Cameroonian officials. Photo courtesy of Anya Dabite Abeh.   

Hidden below the clothes and shoes were 65 hornbill heads of precisely the two genera, Ceratogymna and Bycanistes, that the CITES parties had just agreed to protect by placing them on CITES Appendix II. In the same shipment, customs officials discovered 70 Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) heads, together with 13 elephant tusks, and 25 chimpanzee heads, all species listed on CITES Appendices I and II. The Cameroonian border patrol immediately contacted the Regional Delegation of Forestry, who came to take custody of the seized wildlife parts and handle the arrests. As I am affiliated with the Regional Delegation of Forestry, I was present and able to witness this operation firsthand.

Part of a shipment of 70 Grey Parrot heads and other wildlife body parts destined for Nigeria that were intercepted by Cameroonian officials. Photo courtesy of Anya Dabite Abeh.

This seizure offers a tiny glimpse of a well-organized trafficking network operating along the coastal border, moving wildlife products from Cameroon into Nigeria and beyond. It was also a reminder of why I had gone to the CITES conference in the first place. CITES Appendix II offers listed species a safety net through requiring export permits, but huge challenges remain. Customs and law enforcement officials on the front lines of conservation face colossal opposition from well-funded, organized criminal networks and are desperately need support, tools, and resources to prevail. Working to mitigate the growing trade in animals and animal parts, both within and outside Africa, is one part of the solution. Habitat protection and community involvement remain essential if hornbill populations are to recover. Our forests depend on hornbills as major seed dispersers, and losing them would damage entire ecosystems. Hornbills and other species need heroes every day, and our work has just begun!

A banner produced by the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project to raise awareness of the need to protect African hornbills at the CITES CoP20, which has now traveled to Cameroon!