Photo by Karine Aigner kaigner / The southern yellow-billed hornbill, also known as Zazu in the Lion King, is one of my favorite creatures in the bushveld. During a camping trip in southern Botswana, each morning as we’d come back from photographing, the hornbills would be in camp—obviously having previous experiences with being fed. They were incessant in daring us to throw morsels, and on a daily basis examined the area around our "kitchen" for lost crumbs. Hilarious in personality and antics, they would hop, cock their heads, clack and cluck, and make all kinds of fusses. I spent a good amount of time laying flat on the ground with this guy. Not only are these amazing birds fun characters but hornbills are monogamous and have an interesting breeding behavior. The male feeds the female for about a month, then they mate. The pair seeks out a nest in a tree cavity. Once the nest is ready, the female enters, and closes the hole behind her, sealing it with her feces—leaving just a slit ...