Wow, Weird Incident With an Aracari!!

Working at an Avian/Reptile Rescue allows you to see some strange, sad, and disturbing things, especially the things that breeders do to make tons of money...or possibly a bird-flipper in this situation, not really sure at this point...Sometimes people call or just bring-in their birds for medical help because it's after-hours, or because they can't afford to take their bird or reptile to a specialist vet, or any vet, and they think we'll be able to help them and that it will be free. Last night I had the one of the weirdest things happen I've ever gone through, and I feel horrible for these people..

So a young couple came-in with their new, "baby" Aracari, which they purchased from a "breeder" in Philly about a week ago. They were told over the phone that the bird was hand-raised/hand-fed, really tame, etc. I guess when they showed-up at the breeder's house they already had the bird inside of a little "temporary cage" for them, and they were told to give him some time before trying to handle him. So they just paid this breeder thousands of dollars for this bird and took him home in the temporary cage, without even trying to interact with him. They brought him home and put him in his huge "aviary", which they described as a massive flight cage inside their home...They've never owned any bird before, but from the sounds of it and the few photos they had on their phone, they actually spent a fortune prior to bringing the bird home and did things the right way, which makes this even more upsetting...Right away they knew something was wrong, as the bird was so terrified of them that he shook every time they even walked into their living room where his aviary is located. Screaming, shaking, crying, etc. And not eating or drinking. They called an Exotics Vet in the Harrisburg area and they can't see him until Monday, and they were quoted around $300 to start, so they decided that wasn't an option. So they looked us up. I was feeding some Dragons and an Iguana when they came in, and the manager of the Rescue came and said "I think you'll want to see this Toucan that just came in"...Now you don't see Toucans every day, nor Aracaris, as I realized it was when I walked out into the lobby, so I ran right out...

Long story short, after looking at the bird, interacting with the bird, toweling the bird and getting a good look at him, I'd say that not only is this bird a wild-caught bird (no way he's been around any people at all, not even a parent-raised bird, just not possible, unless he has been terribly abused), but based on what I looked-up to compare, this bird is at least 5 years old, probably much older, but I'm being conservative...I called the CAV that we work with, who volunteered to see the bird for free first thing this morning for them, as he doesn't get to see them often either...I gave them my assessment of the situation, but told them that I could be wrong, wait to see the CAV...I also called the CAV back after they left and gave him all of the info I could about the bird, what I found upon examining him, etc. He agreed with me over the phone, simply based on his feathering, about the age...So I thought okay, I did my good deed for the day...

Just got a phone call from the CAV...He thinks this bird is more like 15 years old, which is close to their average lifespan. He also agrees that the bird was wild-caught and probably shipped illegally to this country. He said he's not surprised, as this wild-caught parrot scam is the newest thing he's been seeing on Craigslist, along with the scam where the bird they are selling doesn't even exist, and they have people send them the money to have the bird shipped, and the bird never arrives...I feel horrible for these people, he said they had tried to contact the "breeder" while they were in his office, but the number is disconnected, so they said they were driving the bird back down the 3+ hours to Philly to the house they picked him up from...I just called them and told them to first contact the police in that area and let them know the entire story, and have an officer meet them at this house, as I'm assuming that it will either be empty, or someone else will answer the door and claim that they have the wrong place...or worse, they could get hurt. I don't know what they're going to do, but they insist that they are leaving for Philly in a couple of hours...

Good lesson for anyone trying to buy an exotic animal or bird on Craigslist...

Ouch! Horrible new twist!

Oh no! Poor thing. I can't imagine what he's going through, being taken from his home and family. And so close to his lifespan as well.

Do you know what next steps can be done for him? I assume it'd be impossible to bring him back to his rough region, and at that, for him to establish another territory as his. Are there sanctuaries that specialise in taking care of such birds?

B@$#@&^'s !!!

That’s heart breaking on all counts!

Do you think you will get updates?


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bill_e said:

B@$#@&^'s !!!

Click to expand...

My sentiments exactly!

There has to be a "special" place in Hades for people like that.

This is so sad!


Poor people, poor bird ...


(We have this decades long ongoing scam with someone offering a Hyacinth macaw "for a good home" on MP <our craighslist> and ends up asking for a downplayment for vetcheck prior to putting it on a plane, plane fare, insurance etc. etc.. Of course there is no bird, so these hopefull, trusting people lose their money - but at least no birds get hurt in the process.)


Wise advice about getting the police involved for protection!
These type of criminals will stop at nothing (well maybe death / their own to be perfectly clear).

Ellen, thank you for doing that work, and for helping that bird.

Sometimes I am shamed to be called human. This is one.

SO SAD...for the people and that poor bird..Especially when they tried to do everything else properly...

I know of at least 3 aracaris and at least one, maybe two, toucans in my area. For a short time, I even helped care for the aracaris. Very neat and fun little birds! Can't imagine how heart breaking it must have been to see one so terrified and scared!

Just terrible. I can only imagine how these people must feel and what they are going through. And that poor bird

How awful. I feel so sorry for everyone harmed by the whole thing. I wonder if he could have been a breeding bird that was at the end of being "useful" so some scum bags decided to sell him and take advantage? The thought of him being wild - caught and treated like this just turns my stomach.

Well they dropped the bird off at the Rescue last night...Of course they didn't find the "breeder", they filed a police-report locally to where they bought him, and I guess the house is owned by an admitted friend or family member, I couldn't tell from the notes I got, of the "breeder", and he cooperated with them, and I guess honestly has no idea where they are..

The people are writing this one off as a loss, I think they really do care more about the bird than themselves or their money, so that's a positive...So I called them and spoke to them about possibly adopting a bird from the Rescue at no-cost to them since they have surrendered the Aracari without even a thought, so they are going to probably start spending time at the Rescue, checking out a few different species to see what might fit their family...

As for the Aracari, there is a bird sanctuary outside of Philly that he is most-likely going to, if not them then there is a great one down in Florida that we have sent other wild birds to, so he'll go there. It depends on whether the more local one will take him quickly, as he is apparently one pissed-off little bird right now...I haven't seen him since they brought him back, I will tonight. He's eating and drinking fine, but he is having constant fits and throwing himself around the cage, trying to get out...We don't have any outside aviary set-up, so this is just going to have to do for now, but it's only short-term. He's getting checked-out tomorrow morning at our CAV's office, while he's closed, because he'll have to be gas-sedated to do so, and he wants to have the time to do it...Fingers crossed he's healthy, and his blood and cultures come back clean so the sanctuary will take him immediately...

What and awful thing to do to both a beautiful wild bird and the potential owners.
Hopefully things will work out and the bird will enjoy the rest of his days in peace somewhere and the unfortunate buyers will find a new bird to care for, one that hasn't gone though such circumstances.
It's sad to hear that people are still trying to, and succeeding in, catching and selling wild birds. It also shows that you should never buy without seeing animals first and seeing where they come from.