Skip to main content

Toucan seen flying around Sin City has been rescued

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A toucan that has been seen flying around Las Vegas for months has been saved, a bird rescue group said Wednesday.

“We’ve all just been so worried about him,” said Skye Marsh, the president and co-founder of the SouthWest Exotic Avian Rescue. “It’s a relief.”

Sam the toucan has been living in Las Vegas since November, much to the concern of bird experts and enthusiasts who were worried about the exotic bird’s health and his ability to survive long-term in a city with drastic weather changes.

“(The) little stinker decided it was time for help, and he flew into someone’s garage,” Skye told The Associated Press. The homeowners knew who the toucan was and shut the garage so he couldn’t escape. Sam has captivated the Las Vegas community after surviving in the desert for months.

After the rescue group caught him, staff took him to a local veterinarian. There are some signs of “wear and tear,” such as dehydrated skin and a chip off his beak, but he seems to be OK, Skye said. The veterinarian gave him fluids and took bloodwork.

Sam had been eating better food since the rescue group put out healthier toucan food around a cage to try to rescue him. Skye said the better food improved his health, as his poop was looking healthier leading up to his rescue.

Sam’s owners, who had posted on social media about the bird’s escape from its cage in November, has not been in contact with the rescue group.

The toucan will be in quarantine at a staff member’s house for 30 to 45 days to make sure he does not have bird flu, which spreads to other birds at the rescue, Skye said.

Buffalo named Donald Trump for his golden locks is a sensation at a Bangladesh zoo

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — With his shock of golden hair and trim 700-kilogram (1,500-pound) build, Donald Trump has been drawing crowds from across Bangladesh since he arrived at the national zoo last week. The rare albino buffalo became a sensation when a farmer noticed that his blond tuft of hair resembled the distinctive locks of the U.S. president. After a video of the pale horned mammal went viral on social media, large numbers of people started showing up at the farm outside Dhaka to see him for themselves. The animal was originally meant to be slaughtered for the Muslim festival of sacrifice. But citing security concerns, the government ordered him transferred to the zoo in the capital, where large crowds are now braving sweltering heat to see him. On Tuesday, visitors pressed against the fence of the buffalo's enclosure, filming with their phones as some fathers hoisted small children on their shoulders for a better view.
Read Next Story