Story By: William McGee, Sub-Editor: Lee Bullen, Agency: Newsflash
This is the moment a photographer releases a toucan into the wild after risking his life to rescue the beautiful bird from drowning in the sea.
Ricardo Ghion, 46, carried out the heroic act off Trincheira Beach in the Brazilian municipality of Ilha Comprida on 24th November.
Ghion told Newsflash: “I have a guesthouse in Cananeia, a city on the Sao Paulo’s southern coast. On that day, I was watching the sunset on the beach with my dog as I usually do in the late afternoon.
“In the distance I saw a bird flapping in the water. I realised it was in trouble. The place where it was is famous for being very dangerous with strong currents, so I thought twice about swimming out to the toucan, but I couldn’t let it drown.”
Ghion swam out to the toucan and managed to rescue the bird in the nick of time.
He told Newsflash: “I got close to it. It was already giving up. When it saw me, it let me hold it.
“I was scared because on the way back, swimming with just one hand, it was difficult to get back to the beach. Luckily, local fishermen appeared and they gave me and the toucan a lift to the beach.”
The photographer took the shaken but uninjured bird back to his guesthouse in Cananeia where he and his partner gave it water and food before releasing it back into the wild around half an hour later.
The following day, Ghion’s story had made the national news. He told Newsflash: “It was shown by Brazil’s biggest broadcaster. I think it generated a lot of interest.
“It was kind of inconsequential that I put my life at risk to save the bird, I think a toucan being in the sea caused more interest, which isn’t common at all!”
As to how the toucan ended up in the perilous position, Ghion told Newsflash: “It’s a region that’s known for its strong winds so it’s likely that it either made a miscalculation or it got knocked into the sea by a strong gust of wind.
“It would have drowned for sure, it’s not a seabird.”
Toucans are native to the tropical Americas and are known for their bright markings and large colourful bills.
Ghion’s photography and guesthouse can be viewed on Instagram at @ricardo.ghion and @a_pousadinha.
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