Loveable toucan from Surrey becomes unexpected star of best-selling video game

Six-year-old “Boy” from Birdworld in Farnham has shared his voice with the team behind Sea of Thieves, an action-adventure game developed by Rare LTD and published by Microsoft Studios.

The multiplayer game allows players to live the life of a pirate while exploring an open world via a pirate ship, alongside a number of pet companions that can be bought as additional in-game purchases.
After searching across the country for an animal park that kept Toco Toucans, Rare were recommended Birdworld, which houses more than 181 species of birds, including Boy – a personal favourite among guests and staff, thanks to his cheeky nature.

Senior Sound Designer at Rare, Katie Tarrant said:

“When we first envisioned adding a toucan as a pet in the game, I began researching reference videos and quickly realised how unique their sounds are. However, I was surprised to find that no sound effects libraries included toucan calls. That’s when we decided to record them live and thankfully, Birdworld came to our rescue.”

Aiming to capture a mixture of Boy’s squawks and “click” noises during a full day session, Musician Chloe Kwok, Producer Louise Roberts and Katie, discovered that Boy was camera shy. With the help of Living Collections Manager Polly Bramham, the group slowly helped him to come out of his shell, spending one-on-one time with Boy, moving into a separate pen, and feeding the microphone through the enclosure to make him feel at ease.

“It’s safe to say that Boy was camera shy at first, but after gently getting to know him, he soon grew in confidence,” said Chloe. “So much so that at one point he tried to eat the microphone, which was highly amusing. It was clear that Boy certainly had the personality that we were looking for.”

Boy’s contributions were carefully edited and integrated into the game over the following days. Early reviews suggest that the addition of the toucan has been a major hit, receiving widespread acclaim from players.
For Birdworld, highlighting Boy’s species forms part of a wider initiative to educate the world about these iconic birds.

“Toco Toucans are the largest members of the toucan family, and currently, their populations are stable enough to be classified as Least Concern from a conservation standpoint,” explained Polly.

“While this might suggest there’s no immediate cause for concern, the last assessment of Toco Toucans was conducted in 2016. Unfortunately, since then, their numbers have been rapidly declining due to trapping and habitat loss.

“Of the 50 toucan species, 39 are now experiencing population declines-a troubling trend we’ve observed for years. The more we learn about these incredible birds, the better equipped we are to protect and appreciate them.”

Following his celebrity stint as a video game star, life has returned to normal for Boy, who is continuing to enjoy his regular target training sessions and the full attention of his keeper.

“Perhaps there’s a hint of diva in him after all…” added Polly.

For media enquiries please email Natalie natalie@carswellgould.co.uk