These images show some young toucans doing well six weeks after hatching after they were found in a woman’s bra as she attempted to smuggle them through an airport in Brazil.
The 30-year-old woman is facing jail after the police found seven eggs in her bra during a body search at Foz do Iguacu airport, in the state of Parana, on 13th October.
The unnamed suspect has claimed that they were quail eggs that she plans to eat later but officials were not convinced.
It was hard for officials to identify the birds at first, but after they were born on 18th October. Quickly confirmed to be toucans, from the Ramphastidae family of birds.
There are 43 recognised subspecies of toucan, with it yet to be confirmed which of these they belong to, according to local media reports.
There being cared for by the local Parque das Aves bird conservation park. Which has launched a challenge on social media urging netizens to venture a guess as to the species they are from.
Woman Seized Trafficking Toucan Eggs In Her Undies Faces Jail
Now that the animals are beginning to show some feathers. It is becoming easier by the day to guess which species they might be from but still not confirmed.
After they were rescued, the bird eggs were kept in an incubator until they hatched. Five of the birds hatch successfully. With one dying inside its egg before it hatched, and another arriving at the Parque das Aves broken.
Police have the trafficker’s identity but could not hold her at the airport because they could not prove they were wild bird eggs.
Under Brazil’s wildlife protection laws the woman, an Argentinian national, could face up to a year in jail if convicted.
Many species of toucan are listed as Vulnerable, Endangered and Near Threatened on the IUCN’s Red List of at-risk wildlife.
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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