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Instantly recognizable for their large, brightly colored bills, toucans are large, strong, and skilled flyers. Most importantly, they are not domesticated. They require rigorous and planned care, and they do not do well in busy households with many people and other pets. It would be incredibly challenging to find a toucan sitter should you ever wish to go on vacation. They are also known to be extremely loud. These are just some of the reasons as to why toucans do not make good pets, and as such, shouldn’t be considered as an option if you’re looking for an exotic pet.
Read on to learn more about toucans and why the thought or prospect of having them as a pet is not a great one.
About Toucans
Resident to Central and Southern America, toucans are arboreal birds, which means that they live most of their lives in trees. They eat fruits from the tops of trees, which are often left behind by other animals that cannot reach the same heights, and they play a very important role in their ecosystems as seed dispersers.
Toucans are non-migratory breeders. This means that they stay in one location all year and will breed with other toucans in the area (of the same species) and will help disperse seeds for the local flora all year round as well.
The 5 Reasons Toucans Don’t Make Great Pets
There are several reasons why toucans shouldn’t be kept as pets.
1. Adopting a Toucan Might Not Be Legal
Toucans are not considered pets. They’re considered wildlife, and though they may be legally imported by zoos or wildlife centers, their trade on a global scale is heavily regulated and restricted. In many parts of the world, it would be illegal to keep them as pets.
2. You Would Most Likely Be Supporting Illegal Activity
Even if owning a toucan is legal where you reside, and even if you intend to offer your toucan the best possible life as a pet, the mere act of purchasing one to be kept as a pet would almost certainly be supporting the illegal pet trade, a business which runs heavily on the concept of supply and demand.
The people who capture wild animals to sell them for a profit are not concerned about the welfare of the animal and don’t see things the way a prospective pet owner would. To them, the fact that someone buys their goods is reason enough to capture more wild animals, which may either die from the capture process, perish later on due to capture stress, or end up in inappropriate environments which are not conducive to their welfare.
It is also worth noting that toucans are exceptionally loud, and as such, the treatment of wild-caught birds is anything but humane. Their bills are often taped shut to prevent them from screaming throughout the entire process of their smuggling and relocation.
3. It Harms Ecosystems
All wild animal species have a role to play in the environment they call home. Toucans are no exception to this rule. As mentioned earlier, toucans play an important role as seed dispersal animals in their natural habitat. Supporting the concept of toucans as pets leads to the removal of more individuals from the ecosystem, which, in turn, harms the ecosystem.
A toucan is also a non-migratory breeder; removing an individual from the wild means you’re removing a breeding animal from the total population of the area.
4. It Has Public Health Implications
The fact that toucans stay in one place also means that they are very likely in equilibrium with any pathogens found in the area. However, if they’re displaced from their natural habitat, they may then also displace the pathogens to newer geographic areas. This is just one of the reasons why the illegal pet trade (especially that of birds) is very risky. Many outbreaks of avian flus and other epidemics or pandemics can be caused by the displacement of wildlife.1
5. Their Husbandry Requirements Are Extensive
Being arboreal, the husbandry needs of a toucan (like other exotic animals) are unique and are not possible to be met by placing them in a cage. Being so close to the ground is stressful for them, as they instinctively like to be in high-up places. This makes it difficult to set up a proper enclosure for them and also means that physical interactions with them would be limited.
6. They Are Loud
Toucans are among the loudest birds out there, which is saying something about their vocal prowess when you consider how most pet parrots scream with glee on a regular basis. If you were to have one as a pet, their noise would almost certainly be unbearable.
7. You Might Be Viewed Unfavorably
Considering that in most instances it’s very difficult to justify owning a wild animal as a pet, most people who do seek such animals are in it for the personal satisfaction of owning a rare animal. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are studies which show that this is, in fact, harmful for the animals in question, despite the perception of it being positive on social media.
Interestingly, this actually makes it likely that an eventual shift in public opinion may make you be viewed unfavorably over time for owning a toucan. This is similar to how people who crop their dogs’ ears (a practice which has largely lost appeal) are viewed unfavorably today.
Conclusion
Toucans are beautiful and unique birds. However, they do not make great pets. Opting to purchase a toucan fuels a very viscous and unethical cycle of illegal pet smuggling. Their care is also incredibly complex, and despite what social media may have you believe, it isn’t easy or fun to own such a pet. The capture and displacement of birds especially comes with public health implications and risks as well.
Toucans play a very important role in their ecosystems, and as such, it is best that they are left there and admired at your local zoo or wildlife refuge.
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Featured Image Credit: Fintaanobria, Pixabay
