A Report of Traumatic Peritonitis in Great Pied Hornbill(Buceros bicornis)

Abstract

Great pied hornbill(Buceros bicornis)is the largest species of the genus Buceros in the tropical regions of China.A one year-old Great pied hornbill in captivity at Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo lost appetite,vomited,and died three days later.The autopsy showed liver necrosis and cardiac muscle bleeding.Inside the muscular stomach,there was alien material(probably a hair clip)of 5.3 cm length that had pierced the muscular stomach.Around the holes were inflammed tissues and severe diffuse hemorrhage was recorded in the intestinal tract.According to the result of bacterial culture,both the liver and the heart were infected by Escherichia coli.Pathological section showed that there was inflammation of the liver and cardiac muscle,and the heart had fatty infiltration and heart failure cells.This is the first report on traumatic peritonitis in great pied hornbill caused by swallowing alien material as a hair clip.We recommend new husbandry standards and new methods for diagnosis of disease in great pied hornbill.