A Rare and Remarkable Bond
An astonishing bond between human and shoebill emerges at Pairi Daiza
A silent stare. A prehistoric silhouette. A razor-sharp beak capable of crushing a crocodile skull. The shoebill (Balaeniceps rex) is one of the most elusive and intimidating birds on Earth. Yet within the zoological park Pairi Daiza, a single, spellbinding encounter between woman and bird is challenging everything we thought we knew about this formidable species.
The Belgian animal park, voted Best European Zoo 2024, unveils a breathtaking video offering a rare glimpse into an unprecedented relationship: a shoebill not only accepting, but welcoming, the gentle presence of a human being.
The human in question? Dorianne, a devoted animal caretaker whose patience, empathy, and unwavering dedication have earned her the trust of Marqoub, A notoriously difficult male shoebill, long regarded as dangerously unpredictable and aggressively territorial, often reacting with force to any human presence.
“I didn’t tame him. I learned his language,” Dorianne says. “Every movement, every sound he made, I watched. I waited. I respected him pace. And one day, he let me in.”
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A rare bird and one of the hardest to approach
Shoebills are extraordinary creatures, standing up to 1.4 meters (about 4.6 feet) tall, with a wingspan that can reach an impressive 2.3 meters (7.5 feet). Often described as “avian statues” for their uncanny stillness and imposing presence, they are indigenous to the dense, swampy wetlands of South Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia. These solitary hunters are masters of stealth and precision, preying on fish, amphibians, snakes, and even baby crocodiles with a sudden, devastating strike. Fewer than 5,000 individuals are believed to remain in the wild. In Europe, they are exceedingly rare in zoological parks and even fewer institutions have succeeded in establishing any form of trust or meaningful interaction with them.
That makes this moment, captured in a quiet, reverent video, nothing short of groundbreaking.
The footage -already viewed over 1.6 million times on Pairi Daiza’s official Facebook page- shows Dorianne calmly approaching Marqoub, offering him food by hand, and standing face-to-face with an animal that would normally retreat, attack, or ignore her.
Shoebills are carnivores, feasting on fish, frogs, snakes, and even young crocodiles, their powerful beak delivering a crushing blow in a fraction of a second.
Gaining a shoebill’s trust requires mirroring -beak clattering, greeting postures, silence, retreat. It’s a behavioral code few humans have ever managed to decipher. And yet, over eighteen painstaking months, Dorianne did.
“I learned to be a shoebill,” she says. “To greet him on his terms. Only then did he allow me into his space.”
A Beacon of Hope for a Species in Decline
Habitat destruction, human disturbance, and the illegal pet trade are pushing populations into decline. Yet the zoological and botanical wonderland nestled in Belgium Pairi Daiza continues to be a leader in shoebill conservation -it was the first zoo in the world to successfully breed the species in 2008.
Marqoub, one of two shoebills residing in the park, represents not only her species' enigmatic beauty, but also a quiet resilience -one mirrored in Dorianne’s months-long dedication to breaking barriers with respect and humility.
The relationship between them is not spectacle. It is symbiosis.
“When we listen to animals with our whole selves,” Dorianne reflects, “we find they often speak back.”
Claire Gilissen
About Pairi Daiza
Pairi Daiza defies the conventional zoo-concepts; offering unforgettable experiences like overnight stays in accommodations that allow guests to sleep within eyesight of polar bears, tigers, walruses, wolves and other majestic creatures. Belgium's leading tourist attraction, Pairi Daiza has been awarded ‘Europe's Best Zoo 2023’ & ‘Europe's Best Zoo 2024’ by the German magazine Parkscout, and before 3 times ‘Best Zoo in Europe’ by the Diamond themepark awards. The Park is also rated three stars in the Michelin Green Guide and has been recognised in Tripadvisor's® Travelers' Choice® Awards for 2024. Its accommodation with views of polar bears, walruses, penguins and Siberian tigers won the title of ‘Best New Hotel Concept’ for Belgium and the Netherlands in 2022. Nearly 2.6 million visitors come to Pairi Daiza every year. Spanning 75 hectares, Pairi Daiza captures the beauty of the countryside while evoking the spirituality of its people. The enchanted Animal Kingdom is home to more than 7,500 animals of 800 species, including 2 giant pandas and 15 elephants. There are also thousands of rare plants and stones, as well as authentic buildings and handicrafts. The combination of authentic buildings, flora and fauna immerses visitors in China, Indonesia and South-East Asia, Benin, Togo, Antarctica, Australia, Northern Europe, Japan and Canada. These are worlds recreated with respect for the arts and crafts of these regions and civilisations. Pairi Daiza is a mission-driven company that takes concrete action to protect and conserve species. Outside its walls, the Pairi Daiza Foundation is very active to restore endangered species and their habitats. Since 2018, Pairi Daiza has set itself the goal of being 100% green by 2034. www.pairidaiza.eu