Friday, May 27, 2005

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Wily peacock nabbed

By LEE WILLIAMS
lwilliams@TheCitizenNews.com

A wily peacock that left his comfy nest on Ebenezer Road in search for love is now in the custody of his owners, thanks to a nimble Fayette County animal control officer.

Officer Scott Davis captured the teal-colored squatter that had made a home on the roof of the Church of Latter Day Saints on Peachtree Parkway.

Peachtree City police and animal control officials received numerous calls about the pheasant that had been causing a stir among Peachtree City motorists along Stagecoach Road, Ebenezer and Spear roads and Peachtree Parkway for three weeks.

Davis, a former Fayette County sheriff’s deputy, joined animal control about a month ago. When he learned a peacock was on the loose, he vowed to catch it and he did. But capturing the bird was no easy feat.

Peacocks have small beaks, but the long claws on their feet can be brutal, so Davis used great caution while apprehending the bird.

“It took about 15 minutes,” Davis said at the Peachtree City shelter just minutes after capturing the bird about 1 p.m. Wednesday. Davis used a wide net attached to a 10-foot pole to catch the bird.

“I chased it around the church,” he said. “It’s actually hard to catch a peacock. The best thing to use is a big wide net with a long pole.”

After capturing the bird, animal control officials notified the owners, Barbara and Jim Buckley of Fayetteville.

Mrs. Buckley picked up the peacock from the shelter on Wednesday. She confirmed Thursday that the bird was at home, safe and sound.

Peacocks are territorial animals, who usually don’t stray too far from their nests — but it’s mating season, Buckley confirmed.

The peacock left home to find a girlfriend and lost his way.

“I’m glad he’s back,” she said.

William Matheson, a 73-year-old Mormon and member of The Church of Latter Day Saints had a few encounters with the bird prior to his capture. The bird apparently had taken a liking to Matheson.

Matheson first spotted the bird at the church about 2:15 p.m. May 14 and called police. Three Peachtree City police officers arrived to round up the bird.

“They came out Saturday with a big, plastic rope to lasso the bird, but that bird was too quick for them,” the Peachtree City resident said.

Once the police left, the peacock resurfaced.

“That bird has been sitting in the brush, looking in the window,” Matheson, a retired Photocircuits supervisor said.

He joked to others at the church that the bird was a new convert looking to join the church.

On May 21, Matheson spotted the peacock once again. This time, he managed to catch the bird.

“I found some grapes, so I went down and held the door open and he came into the building,” Matheson said. “He gobbled the grapes up.”

As the peacock feasted, Matheson closed the door, effortlessly catching him inside. Matheson said he called the police, but got no response the second time around.

Peachtree City police, however, referred the matter to animal control.

Matheson knows Peachtree City is rich with wooded trails. He’s seen a lot since he moved to the city about two decades ago, but peacocks?

“It’s very unusual,” he said. “Not what I expected.”

On Sunday, the peacock showed up again. This time, he made a nest on the roof of the church.

Peacock sightings, although rare, had become commonplace in the last several weeks, according to police reports.

One motorist, Scott Neil, spotted the bird at 8 a.m. May 8 on Stagecoach Road in Peachtree City. Apparently this wasn’t the first time, according to Neil.

“The peacock was loose again on the roadway and would not move out of the way,” Neil told police.

The peacock retreated to the woodline by the time police arrived.

The next day, two peacocks were spotted on Spear and Ebenezer roads.

A peacock also was spotted in the road by another motorist on Ga. Hwy. 74 South and Holly Grove Road.

But animal control officials and the owners contend it was the same peacock.

Peacocks are a joy to admire, some say. But what should you do if you encounter one in the middle of the road in the future.

Motorists should get out of the car and shoo it away, one Fayette County peacock owner said.

But don’t waste your time trying to capture it, the owner added. Peacocks that originated in Southern Asia and Malaysia will likely outrun you.