{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-572d6a42.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-f4d0de30.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Conservationists bid to revive oxpecker bird population' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54bdd2d8eafeecae136ef3' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54bdd2d8eafeecae136ef3' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nConservationists bid to revive oxpecker bird population\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eAP Television Mabula game reserve, Limpopo province, South Africa, 26th October 20101. Mid rhinos with red-billed oxpecker birds on their backs2. Close up rhino zoom into bird 3. Wide zoom in rhino's grazing with oxpeckers on the back4....\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eAP Television \u003cbr/\u003eMabula game reserve, Limpopo province, South Africa, 26th October 2010\u003cbr/\u003e1. Mid rhinos with red-billed oxpecker birds on their backs\u003cbr/\u003e2. Close up rhino zoom into bird \u003cbr/\u003e3. Wide zoom in rhino's grazing with oxpeckers on the back\u003cbr/\u003e4. Wide zebras with oxpecker birds on their backs\u003cbr/\u003e5. Mid shot zebra with oxpecker birds on his back\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television \u003cbr/\u003eNational Zoological Gardens of South Africa, Limpopo province, South Africa, 7th October 2010\u003cbr/\u003e6. Wide donkey being led up a path by workers\u003cbr/\u003e7. Mid donkey being led into an enclosure\u003cbr/\u003e8. Wide interior enclosure, tilt up to the oxpecker birds inside the cage\u003cbr/\u003e9. Close up oxpeckers in the cage\u003cbr/\u003e10. Mid tilt up of donkey eating with an oxpecker on top of the donkey's back\u003cbr/\u003e11. Close zoom out of oxpeckers feeding on back of the donkey\u003cbr/\u003e12. Various oxpecker feeding on parasites on top of the donkey\u003cbr/\u003e14. Mid setup of Mark Howitt, manager of National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, feeding the oxpeckers\u003cbr/\u003e15. Mid oxpeckers in the cage\u003cbr/\u003e16. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Howitt, Manager, National Zoological Gardens of South Africa:\u003cbr/\u003e\"This facility has been built to do research pertaining to these extraordinary birds, which have got this unique diet of feeding off parasites, active parasites, off various animals. And we don't know very much about it, there's very little known and part of this whole relocation project was to have a look at the research in pertaining to, what is the interaction of the birds between each other, how do they breed? There is very little known throughout the world about these specific birds. And they only occur in Africa.\"\u003cbr/\u003e17. Close up oxpeckers pecking on the back of the donkey\u003cbr/\u003e18. Wide oxpeckers on the back of the donkey\u003cbr/\u003e19. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Howitt, Manager, National Zoological Gardens of South Africa:\u003cbr/\u003e\"Because of our Acrocide  (insecticide) that we have been using in South Africa in the farming industry, we have limited these birds to our boundaries, to our neighbouring countries. They are now migrating back into South Africa and slowly moving down southwards. And part of this whole process, to speed up this process and to assist these birds, but also to assist the farmers where these Acrocides have become, the ticks have become resistant to the Acrocides that have been used and the only way is to go back to mother nature and let nature look after what it was actually meant to do. So these birds are coming back in.\" \u003cbr/\u003e20. Various oxpecker in the cage\u003cbr/\u003e21. Various oxpeckers on the back of the donkey\u003cbr/\u003e22. Set up shot Arnaud le Roux, member of the Endangered Wildlife Trust of South Africa and head of \"Operation Oxpecker\"\u003cbr/\u003e23. Wide le Roux talking to a friend whilst looking at the birds\u003cbr/\u003e25. SOUNDBITE (English) Arnaud le Roux, Endangered Wildlife Trust of South Africa and Head of \"Operation Oxpecker\":\u003cbr/\u003e\"It is ecological services that the oxpeckers actually render for free to the farmers, so it's widely accepted. The farmers are very positive to reintroduce oxpeckers into wildlife conservations areas, and wildlife ranching areas and also cattle areas, commercial farmers and very important also communal farmers. The oxpeckers play a very important role in that respect.\"\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television \u003cbr/\u003eMabula game reserve, Limpopo province, South Africa - 26th October 2010\u003cbr/\u003e26. Wide of deer\u003cbr/\u003e27. Mid oxpecker bird on one of the animals\u003cbr/\u003e28. Mid oxpecker on the back of a giraffe\u003cbr/\u003e29. Close up oxpeckers on the back of the giraffe\u003cbr/\u003e30. Wide oxpecker on the back of the giraffe\u003cbr/\u003e31. Wide oxpeckers on the back of rhinos\u003cbr/\u003e32. Mid oxpeckers on the back of rhinos\u003cbr/\u003e33. Mid pull out oxpeckers on the back rhinos\u003cbr/\u003eThe use of pesticides has led to the rapid decline of the African oxpecker bird, whose unique diet consists of parasites that live on other animals.\u003cbr/\u003eNow conservationists are working to reverse the trend, and encourage the birds back to eating the ticks that live on  buffaloes, rhinos, lions, elephants and even the leopards.\u003cbr/\u003eIt's a sight long-associated with the African bush: little birds perched upon the backs of grazing game, pecking away at the ticks and parasites living in the animal's fur.\u003cbr/\u003eAnd as their name suggests, the red-billed oxpecker is the most common bird to be found on the backs of animals in South Africa's Mabula game reserve.\u003cbr/\u003eOn the backs of rhino, giraffe, zebra and buck, the oxpecker moves freely from one animal to another.\u003cbr/\u003eHowever, this symbiotic relationship between bird and beast was almost on the verge of extinction. \u003cbr/\u003eCattle owners and bush rangers who dipped their livestock and game in pesticides ended up killing not only the ticks, but also the red-billed oxpeckers who ate the bugs. \u003cbr/\u003eNow environmentalists are hoping to reemploy the endangered birds in their natural role with a project that aims to reintroduce the oxpeckers into the bush.\u003cbr/\u003eAt the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, in the northern province of Limpopo, \"Operation Oxpecker\" has been set up to process the birds and return them to the wild. \u003cbr/\u003e\"This facility has been built to do research pertaining to these extraordinary birds, which have got this unique diet of feeding off parasites, active parasites, off various animals. And we don't know very much about it, there's very little known and part of this whole relocation project was to have a look at the research in pertaining to, what is the interaction of the birds between each other, how do they breed? There is very little known throughout the world about these specific birds. And they only occur in Africa,\" says Mark Howitt, manager of the oxpecker holding facility near Mokopane.\u003cbr/\u003eThe project is gaining momentum. Farmers in areas where the birds are being distributed are being encouraged to stop using pesticide dips - or at least the more toxic varieties - and let the birds do their job.\u003cbr/\u003e\"Because of our Acrocide  (insecticide) that we have been using in South Africa in the farming industry, we have limited these birds to our boundaries, to our neighbouring countries. They are now migrating back into South Africa and slowly moving down southwards. And part of this whole process, to speed up this process and to assist these birds, but also to assist the farmers where these Acrocides have become, the ticks have become resistant to the Acrocides that have been used and the only way is to go back to mother nature and let nature look after what it was actually meant to do. So these birds are coming back in,\" says Howitt.  \u003cbr/\u003eHowitt's vision is shared by Arnaud Le Roux, a full time member of the Endangered Wildlife Trust and team leader on \"Operation Oxpecker.\"\u003cbr/\u003e\"It is ecological services that the oxpeckers actually render for free to the farmers, so it's widely accepted. The farmers are very positive to reintroduce oxpeckers into wildlife conservations areas, and wildlife ranching areas and also cattle areas, commercial farmers and very important also communal farmers. The oxpeckers play a very important role in that respect,\" he says. \u003cbr/\u003eThe project hopes for a win-win situation for all: oxpecker numbers are expected to rise in their native regions and farmers will no longer have to purchase expensive pesticides to protect their livestock.\u003cbr/\u003eThe oxpecker is famous for its red bill, and has a creamy buff abdomen. Its head, throat, back and upper tail are brown, and it has a red eye with a broad yellow ring around it.\u003cbr/\u003eOne red-billed oxpecker can consume up to 100 engorged adult ticks or 13,000 immature ticks in a single day.\u003cbr/\u003eThe birds befriend beasts such as antelope, horses, cattle and the entire Big Five - buffalo, rhino, lion, elephant and leopard.\u003cbr/\u003eRed-billed oxpeckers are known to help warn animals about potential dangers like lurking predators or advancing storms, and they also keep any fresh wounds clean. \u003cbr/\u003eIn exchange, the birds get food as well as fur, bits of which they use for their nests.\u003cbr/\u003eThe ticks removed by the birds carry a host of illnesses including red water disease, which is a common killer of cattle if not prevented.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='action-container flex justify-between'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' aria-label='Read more description' class='rp-full-description' type='button'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cspan id='read_more'\u003eRead More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-report'\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='resource-details-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='resource-details-heading'\u003eResource Details\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource-details clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eCurator Rating\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan class=\"star-rating\" aria-label=\"3.5 out of 5 stars\" role=\"img\"\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star-half-stroke text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-regular fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt class=\"educator-rating-title\"\u003eEducator Rating\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"educator-rating-details\" data-path=\"/educator_ratings/rrp_data?resourceable_id=880405\u0026amp;resourceable_type=Boclips%3A%3AVideoMetadata\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"not-yet-rated\"\u003eNot yet Rated\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eGrade\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd title=\"Grade\"\u003eHigher Ed\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eSubjects\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"/search?keywords=multicultural+lessons+math\u0026amp;page=2\u0026amp;search_tab_id=1\u0026amp;subject_ids%5B%5D=1216220\"\u003eAll Subjects\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eMedia Type\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"/search?keywords=multicultural+lessons+math\u0026amp;page=2\u0026amp;search_tab_id=2\u0026amp;type_ids%5B%5D=4543650\"\u003eNews Clips\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eSource:\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eDate\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e2010\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-solid fa-language'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eAudiences\u003c/dt\u003e\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ca href=\"/search?audience_ids%5B%5D=371079\u0026amp;keywords=multicultural+lessons+math\u0026amp;page=2\u0026amp;search_tab_id=1\"\u003eFor Teacher Use\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/dd\u003e\u003cdd class=\"text-muted\"\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-lock mr5\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e2 more...\u003c/dd\u003e\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\n\u003c/dl\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='concepts-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='concepts-heading'\u003eConcepts\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='details-list concepts' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator' data-type='concepts'\u003emammals, birds, lions, africa, south africa, zoology, wildlife, elephants, rhinoceros, carnivores, horses, animals, nature, insects, arthropods, exercise, business\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='concepts-toggle-buttons' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' class='more btn-link' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-down ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='true' class='less btn-link' style='display: none;' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow Less\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-up ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='additional-tags-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='additional-tags-heading'\u003eAdditional Tags\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='details-list keyterms' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator' data-type='keyterms'\u003efood and beverage manufacturing, chemicals manufacturing, endangered and extinct species, important, species conservation and preservation, environmental concerns, oxpeckers, science, environmental conservation and preservation, environment, farmers, corporate capital, part, agriculture and the environment, livestock farming, natural resource management, back, cattle farming, southern africa, agrochemicals manufacturing, pesticide manufacturing, materials, industries, assist, species reintroduction, production facilities, ticks, environment and nature, agriculture, environmental activism, pertaining, biology, facilities, corporate news, wildlife management, process\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='keyterms-toggle-buttons' data-identifier='Boclips::VideoDecorator'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' class='more btn-link' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-down ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='true' class='less btn-link' style='display: none;' type='button'\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eShow Less\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fa-solid fa-caret-up ml5'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='educator-ratings-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title sr-only' id='educator-ratings-heading'\u003eEducator Ratings\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"educator-ratings-root\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"all-educator-ratings-root\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"educator-rating-form-root\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Show resource details' class='rp-show-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nShow resource details\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Video player' class='player' id='player-wrapper' role='region'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='relative container mx-auto' id='lp-boclips-visitor-thumbnail'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"block\" data-html=\"true\" data-placement=\"bottom\" data-trigger=\"click\" data-content=\"\u003cdiv class=\u0026quot;text-center py-2\u0026quot;\u003e\u003ca class=\u0026quot;bold\u0026quot; href=\u0026quot;/auth/users/sign_in\u0026quot;\u003eSign in\u003c/a\u003e or \u003ca class=\u0026quot;bold text-danger\u0026quot; data-posthog-event=\u0026quot;Signup: LP Signup Activity\u0026quot; data-posthog-location=\u0026quot;body_link_boclips\u0026quot; data-remote=\u0026quot;true\u0026quot; href=\u0026quot;/subscription/new\u0026quot;\u003eJoin Now\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\" data-title=\"Get Full Access\" data-container=\"body\" rel=\"popover\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Play video: Conservationists bid to revive oxpecker bird population\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"resource-img img-thumbnail img-responsive z-10 lp-boclips-thumbnail w-full h-full lozad\" alt=\"Conservationists bid to revive oxpecker bird population\" title=\"Conservationists bid to revive oxpecker bird population\" onError=\"handleImageNotLoadedError(this)\" data-default-image=\"https://static.lp.lexp.cloud/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/missing.png\" data-src=\"https://static.lp.lexp.cloud/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/missing.png\" width=\"315\" height=\"220\" src=\"data:image/png;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAD/ACwAAAAAAQABAAACADs\" /\u003e\n\u003cspan aria-hidden='true' class='flex justify-center items-center bg-white rounded-full w-16 h-16 absolute top-1/2 left-1/2 -mt-8 -ml-8 cursor-pointer z-0 border-2 border-primary drop-shadow-md lp-boclips-thumbnail-playBtn'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fa-solid fa-play text-primary text-3xl ml-1 drop-shadow-xl'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n"}