THIS is the trumpeter hornbill whose survival instincts have stunned bird experts. The bird, named Safeway, now seven weeks old, made a remarkable recovery after apparently dying while still in the egg.

He is thriving in the care of Paultons Park head keeper Geoff Masson, who said: "He has come back from the dead."

But there was a time when keepers were convinced that he had died. Mr Masson said a trumpeter hornbill hen sits on the nest that is walled up around her with just an opening for the male to pass food through.

But when Safeway's mum's partner died and the food chain was halted, she pecked her way out and left two eggs unattended.

"Senior keeper Mark Bignell found her away from the nest and the two eggs were stone cold," said Mr Masson. The eggs were hastily put into an incubator, but both embryos appeared to be dead.

However, one amazingly survived. He has been called Safeway as a token of gratitude to the supermarket chain that provides Paultons with unsold food for the animals.

The supermarket's national environmental manager, Nicola Ellen, said: "We started the scheme in 1995. Paultons collect items three times a week."

Safeway the hornbill is in no doubt about the menu he preferred - bananas as the main course, with grapes to follow.

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