Feb. 26 (UPI) — A toucan on the loose in Las Vegas since November 2025 has been safely captured after flying into a local homeowner’s garage.
Southwest Exotic Avian Rescue, which had been on the hunt for Sam Toucan for months, said the bird flew into a garage Wednesday and the homeowners recognized him from the news and contacted the rescue group.
Skye Marsh, who recovered Sam for Southwest Exotic Avian Rescue, took him directly to a veterinarian for assessment and treatment.
“His beak is a little beat up. He’s got some missing patches of feathers and stuff. You can tell that he’s had some run-ins with things. The tip of his beak is chipped off. So he’s got some stories in that little bird brain,” Marsh told KVVU-TV.
She said Sam actually appears to be in remarkably good health for having been on his own since Nov. 14.
“All of these birds come from very humid areas, and that’s not us,” Marsh said.
She said toucans require very specific care.
“Just trying to give them tap water can kill them because they can build up iron in their system and it can kill them,” she said. “This kid needs a lot of things that we don’t have here, and that’s kind of scary. So we need to kind of band together and get him safe and get him where he gets the things that he needs to survive, not just to survive, but to thrive.”
Marsh said Sam will remain in quarantine for the time being until bloodwork and other test results come back to ensure he is in good health.