Overview
- Federal wildlife officers at the Otay Mesa border crossing found 14 juvenile keel-billed toucans hidden in a car dashboard after a July 2025 seizure, with every bird sedated and bound.
- The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo took the birds in July 2025 and spent months treating malnutrition, severe stress, and metabolic problems until they recovered.
- Ten have been placed at Association of Zoos and Aquariums institutions for breeding and education programs, while four remain in the Bronx for long-term care.
- Visitors can now see two rehabilitated males in the World of Birds exhibit, with a separate pair kept off exhibit for future breeding.
- Listed as near threatened, keel-billed toucans face capture for the pet trade and deforestation, which WCS leaders say makes curbing illegal demand essential.