Runaway peacock finally caught

Press, 24 October 1984, Page 3

Runaway peacock finally caught

The wayward Cheviot peacock has been apprehended, has been given a new home, and would “rather like to live a quiet life away from the glare of publicity,” said its former owner, the Cheviot County Clerk, Mr Victor Novis. The peacock was apprehended when it wandered back to an elderly t woman neighbour’s property where it often used to visit.

The owner of the property discovered it in a shed and grabbed it by the tail. As previously arranged, it was taken to its new borne where it is expected that it will soon have a mate. “I think this was the cause of his wandering all along,” said Mr Novis. The peacock had been at - large in the Cheviot township “terrorising” some residents by its loud calls and

being a nuisance to others by ravaging their gardens. It was even seen to strut majestically along the highway, through the middle of the township. It seems that although some residents may have been a little annoyed, others admired the beautiful bird. Mr Novis said he had heard that a group of children from the Cheviot playcentre had been taken especially to see the peacock.

The peacock had become something of an embarrassement to its owner and Mr Novis offerd a $lO reward to anyone who could catch it. The bird was caught during Labour Day week-end while Mr Novis was out of town. On his return, he was told that it had been picked up by its new owner and taken to its new home. “I did not want to shoot the peacock, but it was

getting close to that stage with people complaining about their gardens. I am very sorry to lose him,” Mr Novis said. Mr Novis has decided to “give up" on peacocks. He had bought a pair as an experiment, but later, when they grew older, he found that both were males.

The peacocks wandered off the property, and Mr Novis heard later that one had been'run over. ’ ’ i;