The world's expert on hornbills tells how a pursuit by terrifying wingbeats eventually led to a view of the inside of a cell in which a female had imprisoned herself, and to a lifelong fascination with the birds with the biggest bills on Earth. The rain had stopped, and while the others rested at the bungalow, I wandered alone through the trees. I followed a ground-dwelling bird, a pitta, which gradually led me deep into the forest. Nothing scorned out off the ordinary, until suddenly I heard a loudpanting sound coming towards me. I turned and dashed back along the winding trail as fast as I could, but the creature followed and was keeping pace. I made it back to the road and stopped, breathing hard. The sound faded and seemed to be coming from higher up. Then I heard a bark from the tree canopy. My imagination was running wild with a forest full of beasts and spirits, and t couldn't stop swearing.
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