{"id":3360,"date":"2014-06-30T19:07:06","date_gmt":"2014-06-30T19:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lbpost.com\/articles\/life\/pets\/mama-peafowl-takes-center-stage\/"},"modified":"2014-06-30T19:07:06","modified_gmt":"2014-06-30T19:07:06","slug":"mama-peafowl-takes-center-stage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/pets\/mama-peafowl-takes-center-stage","title":{"rendered":"Mama Peafowl Takes Center Stage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Photo courtesy of Cleo DeMarco<\/em><\/p>\n

Generally, it\u2019s the peacock with the beautiful fanned tail that attracts the most attention. But on June 14, it was the considerably less flamboyant peahen (I\u2019m tempted to name her Hillary) and her four chicks who took center stage in a situation that ruffled a few feathers and had some crying \u201cFowl!\u201d<\/p>\n

The <\/i>Press-Telegram <\/i>covered the initial story<\/a> on June 14 and printed a follow-up on June 18<\/a> about the social media flap and twitter\u2014Twitter and Facebook, actually\u2014regarding the situation and players therein as they skewered or praised ACS and the caller or offered advice and opinions. In a peanut shell, the mother hen and four babies, with no male in sight, showed up at an apartment complex near the Colorado Lagoon. A neighbor alerted animal control, and an officer was dispatched to the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe adults have legs like springs,\u201d explained Ted Stevens, Animal Care Services (ACS) manager. Stevens said that the officer corralled the chicks and spent 20 to 30 minutes patiently trying to catch the peahen but ultimately gave up, fearing that the mother would run toward the busy streets near the area. The chicks were taken to a rescue sanctuary, and at this writing, Hillary\u2019s still carrying on her campaign in the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe outpouring of compassion and concern for these birds by the community has been truly amazing to witness,\u201d said Cleo DeMarco, a resident of the complex who is now quietly conducting an effort in tandem with Stevens to contain the mother and relocate her to the same sanctuary that her chicks live in.<\/p>\n

DeMarco is passionate in her attempt to rescue the mother, particularly without resorting to using a trap, which a couple of wildlife advocates agreed would harm the animal\u2019s legs. After the initial attempt, the chicks were returned to a containing pen near DeMarco\u2019s home in an attempt to trap the mother.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mother saw them, and then kids ran by and scared her,\u201d Stevens said. He added that DeMarco spent the better part of the week trying to catch the peahen, but she finally lost interested in the chicks, so Stevens picked them up and returned them to the aviary.<\/p>\n

DeMarco is sending daily updates to Stevens regarding any progress.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor now, we are taking a moment to regroup,\u201d she said. We need things in our neighborhood to calm down and an opportunity for Mama to rebuild trust with us. Once we can ensure a safe and peaceful location to further attempt our efforts, we intend on constructing a new plan to casually lure Mama into a containment area so we can relocate and reunite her with her babies, where she will be able to live her life safe from harm. If it proves impossible to do this in a way that guarantees no potential harm to Mama, then we will have to cease our efforts and let her be as she previously was before all of this happened. We are still hopeful however, and are not resigned to giving up just yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the ruffling of feathers and the throwing of eggs\u2014I\u2019m sorry. I really cannot help myself, but I\u2019ll stop\u2014I feel that despite the unsatisfactory outcome, the intention on all sides was to help the peahen. I learned a couple of things about peafowl while I spoke to people involved in the effort to capture the hen\u2014enough, at least, to let readers (and me) know what to do and what not to do in similar situations. One thing I learned is that peafowl aren\u2019t really wildlife\u2014or at least, they straddle the line between wild and domestic on their four scaly toes. According to Rebecca Dmytryk, owner and operator of the 501 (C)(3) Wildlife Emergency Services organization<\/a>, they can be likened to roosters, or in her words, \u201cfree-roaming feral chickens.\u201d<\/p>\n

Further, the area where the family showed up is near a saltwater lagoon, which, Stevens said, is not the natural environment of peafowl. Dmytryk also told me that the peahen needed three weeks to find a nest and that there had to be a dad somewhere. The June 14 P-T story stated that the caller to ACS mentioned that the peahen was \u201cbleating and screeching loudly,\u201d and the males aren\u2019t known for their demure behavior either. OK, so where\u2019s Bill? as Hillary must be wondering. And how did the rest of the family get there in the first place?<\/p>\n

The stories that have lately come out about the peacocks being murdered in Rolling Hills Estates (read NPR\u2019s excellent coverage here<\/a>) have led some of us consider fowl play at work here\u2014good Lord, oh never mind. The spcaLA<\/a> reported that 50 peafowl have been reported dead in Rolling Hills Estates, some apparently accidental but others by firearms, crossbows or marbles launched by slingshots. Another, whom the staff has dubbed Flipper, was found by a resident in that area.<\/p>\n

\u201cFlipper was flailing and unable to take flight,\u201d the press release read. \u201cFlipper appeared to be emaciated and suffering from an internal ailment caused by a human.\u201d<\/p>\n

It may be a stretch to think that Flipper is the missing dad and that the same person who injured him relocated the mother and chicks to the lagoon, but there certainly are unanswered questions about where the peahen came from and if the male fell to the same fate as the other peafowl in Rolling Hills Estates. Dmytryk emphasized the love\/hate relationship between peafowl and human residents. The birds are beautiful and wonderful to watch, but their piercing shrieks, desire to snack on plants and uncontrolled population have caused neighbors to take drastic and cruel action. She feels that the family should be brought back together, but only if the entire community wants them back.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, they\u2019re better off in a sanctuary-controlled environment if the neighborhood doesn\u2019t want them there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"peachicks\"<\/p>\n

Peafowl chicks at sanctuary. Photo courtesy of Long Beach ACS.<\/em><\/p>\n

DeMarco is thinking along the same lines.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur ultimate goal is to be able to safely contain Mama,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is my belief that Ted Stevens and everyone directly involved in the rescue\/reuniting attempt have the best of intentions, with the priority being the health and safety of the peacocks.\u201d <\/p>\n

The chicks are thriving in the sanctuary, and if Mama is indeed reunited with them, the most that they\u2019ll do at this point is to ask her for college money. But she\u2019ll be safe, and if there is, by some obscure chance, a male prancing around, she won\u2019t be hatching any more chicks who\u2019ll be subject to the same problem as the one in Rolling Hills Estates. In the meantime, DeMarco is asking that the public not be involved so that she can continue to work with ACS in trapping her. She also hopes that this situation spotlights the problems with homeless pets and displaced wildlife attempting to coexist in our communities and wants to have more programs in place to accomplish this.<\/p>\n

We as a community can certainly learn from this by contacting the many volunteer organizations devoted to helping wildlife. I do support our shelter, and frankly, the caller did the right thing by alerting them even though the officer wasn\u2019t able to catch the peahen. It certainly was a better action than the ones residents of Rolling Hills Estates are resorting to. For you, the reader, I\u2019ve compiled a list of bird- and wildlife organizations and resources. Click on the links for information and education; if you know of any others, please post them.<\/p>\n