The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Malaysia teams up with Malaysian Nature Society to conserve hornbill habitats

PETALING JAYA, August 8 — The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Malaysia and Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) are joining forces to save the country’s beloved hornbill.

The three-month-long fundraising campaign will contribute towards conservation of the iconic bird’s habitat through the Save Bill Campaign.

Funds raised will be channelled to the MNS Hornbill Conservation Programme.

According to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Malaysia director of marketing and development Fiona Rodrigues, the popular coffee chain adopts a different local animal every August in conjunction with Merdeka.

“Malaysia is home to many beautiful local species and environmental changes are affecting many of them.

“This year, in collaboration with the Malaysian Nature Society, our focus is on the Hornbill Conservation Programme, to support the Society’s efforts in protecting their habitat,” said Rodrigues.

On top of donations collected from the sales of hornbill-themed merchandise and Coffee Bean’s Caring Cup Fund, there will be educational materials, interactive games, activities and workshops to raise awareness.

Several hornbill species have become endangered in Malaysia due to habitat loss. — Picture courtesy of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Malaysia

In Malaysia, there are 10 hornbill species and they all thrive in tropical rainforests but several species have become endangered due to habitat destruction.

“Malaysia’s iconic birds, the hornbills are a symbol of the nation’s rich diversity and an indicator of a healthy forest environment, of which Malaysia has long been known to have.

“Our Hornbill Conservation Programme is dedicated to preserving this unique species and our current focus is to protect the Belum-Temenggor area as an essential habitat for the Hornbill while ensuring the ecosystem — and all the other species it supports — continues to thrive,” said MNS head of conservation Balu Perumal.

From now until October, customers can take part in the campaign and do their part to save the precious birds by purchasing a Malaysian Hornbill Mug (RM48) or a Malaysian Hornbill Tumbler (RM88), activating RM100 of the limited-edition Hornbill Coffee Bean card or RM100 The Coffee Bean Card top-up on Save Bill Day each month (August 25, September 25 and October 25).

The Coffee Bean will contribute RM5 to MNS for each of the purchases above.

Throughout the campaign, hornbill conservation leaflets will be available at all outlets including information to support MNS initiatives.

Coffee Bean &Tea Leaf will also highlight a different hornbill species each week on its social media platforms along with fun facts and quizzes.