14 trafficked toucans rehabilitated at Bronx Zoo after being found at US-Mexico border

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Credit: Bronx Zoo

THE BRONX - Staff at the Bronx Zoo helped rehabilitate over a dozen trafficked toucans after they were confiscated at the US-Mexico border.

14 trafficked toucans rehabilitated

What we know:

The 14 keel-billed toucans, all only three to four months old, were found hidden in the dashboard of a vehicle at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in California.

The toucans were in "poor condition" when they were recovered, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society – each bird had been sedated and bound.

Credit: Bronx Zoo

Staff of the Bronx Zoo assisted the United States Fish and Wildlife Service with the rescue of the toucans, who were brought to the zoo in July 2025.

All the toucans showed signs of "malnutrition, severe stress and metabolic issues."

Bronx Zoo visitors can now see two of the rescued toucans in the zoo's World of Birds.

"These toucans arrived in a severely compromised state after enduring stressful and inhumane conditions during illegal transport," said Chuck Cerbini, Curator of Ornithology at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo. "Thanks to the dedication of our animal care and veterinary teams, we were able to stabilize and rehabilitate them."