A woman from the United States of America who adopted a toucan 2 years ago said that she had not had a holiday for a long time because the bird that she had adopted gets extremely anxious when she’s not around.
Janelle Tsao, 35, said that she needs to stay with Touki, her exotic pet, plies of fresh fruit on a daily basis and has to be around her.
She also said that the 2-year-old toucan gets separation anxiety when she’s not around.
Talking about the bird, she said:
It sounds ridiculous but his livelihood has taken over my life.I don’t travel, I don’t leave my home overnight or without an adult around him 24/7, I don’t have a life apart from Touki now. It’s a lot to ask: ‘Can you watch my flying two-year-old?’
Janelle also claims that Touki does not repay her loyalty with good bevahour, saying that the bird is mischievous most of the time.
Janelle went on:
These birds are like flying toddlers or monkeys – they will get into everything. Yesterday, I was chopping tomatoes and placed them in a bowl with a lid, which he isn’t allowed to have. They’re too acidic. He flies down to the counter and lifted the lid and stole a tomato, then he flew up to the second floor of our loft and quickly swallowed it before I could even start climbing!
The Toucan that she had adopted was just a couple of weeks old when Janelle and Arielle, her girlfriend, found him at a breeders.
Talking about the moment she saw the toucan, Janelle said that it was love at first time.
She added:
Our hearts just melted. I think it’s because he was injured and he had scab like things in his feathers. I made the commitment right there, that I would do whatever it took to love and care for him. It was always a dream of mine to care for a toucan.
The thing is, Janelle is also facing other issues with the toucan.
Because of the massive diet of the toucan and its fast digestive system, the pet often poops a lot around the apartment, which has been a huge problem for Janelle and Arielle.
Talking about the costs of handling the toucan, the couple said that they are spending around $80 per month on food.
The couple also noted that Touki becomes extremely anxious when Janelle and Arielle leaves the room.
The toucan keeps on screaming until one of them returns back home.
The couple said that they haven’t been on a holiday in the last 2 years because of the bird.
Janelle said:
Working from home can be very challenging. Making phone calls can be impossible, as he is so needy and demands attention all waking hours.
Janelle and Arielle are also famous on social media.
They are the handlers of @ToukiTheToucan on TikTok, where they have over 600,000 followers.
