Philippine environment officials confiscated Tuesday a writhed-billed hornbill put on display in a mini zoo owned by a German national.

"The colorful writhed-billed hornbill has been considered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to be one of the critically endangered species in the Philippines," said Dr. Enrique Sanchez Jr., national president of the Philippine Initiative for Conservation of Environment and the People Incorporated (Philincon).

Sanchez said the German national, a resort owner in the central Philippine island of Boracay, voluntarily surrendered the hornbill to the environment department after weeks of negotiation.

"Upon confiscation, we will document first the hornbill and we expect to release the same bird to the forest of Antique hoping that it would grew its numbers," he said.

The writhed-billed hornbill, locally known as "dulungan" or " kalaw" and found in central Philippines, has been hunted down by poachers who sell them to private collectors.

Some resort owners in this island have mini zoos, using them to attract tourists.