Toucan that escaped aviary in May captured in Southern California
YORBA LINDA, Calif. — A toucan that became a local sensation while living wild much of the year in Southern California has finally been captured.
The brightly colored female bird named Fern was spotted Tuesday in the rafters of a Yorba Linda auto repair shop.
A service adviser made calls to animal experts including Omar’s Exotic Birds, which dispatched an employee who captured Fern.
The bird escaped in May from an aviary in Courtney Chapman’s Fullerton home after Fern and a male toucan were delivered by a breeder.
Chapman tells The Orange County Register she had been told the chances of getting the toucan back were slim to none.
Shortly after the escape, Chapman joined a private social network app for neighbors and soon photos of Fern spottings around town were being posted.
