Three toucan chicks are currently recuperating at the Guyana Amazon Tropical Birds Society (GATBS) after they were successfully confiscated from someone who reportedly stole them from the bird sanctuary in the Botanical Gardens.
Founder of the GATBS Andy Narine said Toco toucans carry a hefty price in the pet industry. So when three Toco chicks went missing from a bird sanctuary earlier in the year, an investigation was launched immediately.
Although the investigation lasted a little over six weeks, an ecstatic Narine shared the good news of the recovery of the birds, which have since been recuperating at the GATBS headquarters.
Operation ‘search and rescue’ was a proud accomplishment for the non-profit organization, as its members have spent months observing the birds in their natural habitat.
According to Narine, members of the organization have been monitoring the nesting patterns of the Toco Toucans and others birds in the bird sanctuary for a while now. He said two years had elapsed before the Toucans produced three chicks in the sanctuary at the beginning of the year.
Narine related that it was quite an exciting experience for his members when they began noticing the adults gathering and transporting food to their nest, an indication that chicks were in the nest.
Unfortunately, the excitement was replaced with annoyance after they saw pictures on Facebook of the Toco chicks in a cardboard box. When they checked at the bird sanctuary, their fears were confirmed as they observed that the adult Tocos had stopped taking food to the nest.
An investigation was subsequently launched and with the aid of officers attached to the North Ruimveldt Police station, the birds were recovered. Sadly, this recovery did not happen before the bird thief had clipped the birds’ wings.
Nevertheless, throughout the interview, Narine highly praised the persons who assisted in locating the birds.
Using the illegal removal of the Tocos as an example, the bird lover said more attention should be paid to the security of these beautiful creatures in the bird sanctuary as they are a part of an ever growing birding sector in our tourism industry.
He spoke of the joint relationship between GATBS, the Ministry of Tourism and the National Parks Commission which resulted in a section of the gardens being designated as a bird sanctuary.
In addition to the collaborative efforts with other organization, the GATBS also plays an integral part in the monitoring of birdlife in Guyana. “The park is one of special interest as it is one of our focal points in birding tourism in Guyana,” Narine said, adding that it “is the only one of its kind in the world that can be found in the capital city of any country,” and therefore deserves special attention.
Visitors to the sanctuary are able to see over 50 different birds in less than two hours, he said, adding that provisions are made for people with disabilities. He called on the relevant authorities to realize how vital the birding sector and the conservation efforts are.
The recovered Toco chicks are approximately five months old now and are expected to be moved to a more secure location where they will continue to recuperate. By the end of the year, the birds’ wings are expected to fully recovered and they will be released back into the park with the other two adult Tocos.
No charges have been laid in relation to the bird-napping, as it was decided that everyone deserves a second chance in life.
