Toucan Is Waiting For His Wings To Regrow So He May Fly Once More

Various animals are delivered to John Merritt’s doorstep in Costa Rica, and he must then figure out way to preserve them.

Toto, the tortured toucan who had his wing feathers hacked off, is one such animal.

“A lot of the time, when the government delivers us animals, they’re taken from people who never tell the MINAE [Costa Rica’s Ministry of Environment] their background,” Merritt, founder and CEO of iRescue, a group that assists wild animals in distress, told The Dodo.

Costa Rica outlawed the collection and custody of animals in 2013. However, the illicit wildlife trade continues to hold sway in the country, and wild animals are still being seized and kept as pets.

Merritt stated, “We have no idea how the person got this toucan.” “However, because he had badly cut his wings, he just slides off the limb and crashes to the earth.”

Toto was also severely malnourished when he came to iRescue. According to Merritt, toucans, who are omnivores, need a varied diet so they can thrive. “Whoever had him probably just gave him banana all day,” Merritt said.

Toto, who was rescued earlier this year, has made significant progress. Merritt keeps him challenged by moving him into ever-larger cages as he becomes stronger.

Someday, Merritt hopes Toto will be strong enough to be released into the wild again. But it will be at least a year before Toto’s wings grow back.

“Some of his feathers in his wings are sprouting back, and he’s hopping from limb to limb,” Merritt added. “We’re optimistic that we’ll be able to free him.”