Overview
- Footage posted on Instagram by tour operator Mabamba Trips shows the bird standing calmly just inches from tourists.
- The encounter occurred on Lake Victoria’s Mabamba Bay, which is recognized globally as an Important Bird Area.
- No injuries were reported, and the shoebill flew off after a brief, non-aggressive pause on the small wooden boat.
- Shoebills can approach five feet in height with wingspans up to eight feet and a distinctive clog-shaped bill used to subdue large prey.
- Fewer than 8,000 remain in the wild across central‑eastern Africa, and the species is listed as Vulnerable on the global conservation red list.