Smuggling Attempt Thwarted as 'Exotic' Animals Found Stuffed in Purse

Two travelers crossing from Mexico into the United States over the Christmas period were found to have some unusual traveling companions—two colorful toucans that were hidden in a purse, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

A CBP officer came across the 35-year-old man and 37-year-old woman in a 2015 Toyota Camry when they applied for entry into the U.S. at the Otay Mesa border crossing near San Diego at around 4 p.m. on December 26, 2022.

The travelers and their vehicle were sent for further inspection, which revealed two live birds, later identified as toucans, wrapped in stockings and concealed inside the traveler's purse.

Jenifer De La O, CBP director of field operations in San Diego, said in a statement to Newsweek: "Smuggling live animals, especially endangered species, is a serious offense and this significant seizure demonstrates the lengths a smuggler will go for their own financial gain. Our officers and agriculture specialists work hard every day to stop these horrible acts and protect our wildlife species for future generations to enjoy."

CBP officers detained both travelers for attempting to smuggle the live birds and turned them over to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security investigators and Fish and Wildlife Services for further processing, the CBP said.

Officers seized the toucans and the vehicle and the live toucans have been placed in a secure safe space where they will remain in quarantine for veterinarian examination and a decision on where to send them.

Toucans mostly live in lowland tropics and are native to the Neotropics from Southern Mexico through Central America and into South America.

Of the 50 species of toucan, 11 are listed as globally threatened or near-threatened with extinction.

Deforestation of native habitats in the Amazon basin for cattle ranching and soy production is one of the biggest threats to the birds, alongside hunting and illegal wildlife trade.

Often dubbed the noisiest birds in the forest, they are related to woodpeckers and can grow to a length of 24 inches and have short, rounded wings, long tails and a huge bill.

Made of a lightweight bone covered with keratin, toucan bill colors vary in different species. Researchers are still undecided on the purpose of the toucan's large bill, but it is thought to have evolved to both impress potential mates and intimidate predators.

Primarily fruit eaters that also exist on a diet of insects, small birds and lizards, their bill does help them to peel fruit and they can even control the blood supply to it, helping them to cool down when required.