Village’s free-roaming peacocks avoid death sentence
Beautiful birds brought joy during lockdown, but became ‘nuisance’ to some residents
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Your support makes all the difference.A pride of peacocks that divided opinion in the village they roam in have been spared a “humane dispatch” by police and will be rehomed.
The flamboyant birds, known locally as The Boys, have been part of life in Henfield for the past two years and were a source of joy for many residents, especially during lockdown.
However, not everyone is so fond of the birds, which have caused damage to some people’s gardens and make “excessive noise at all hours of the day”.
Residents in the West Sussex village received a letter from Sussex Police saying that efforts were being made to trap and regime the five peacocks, but if that could not be completed, a “human dispatch” would be required.
Sue Bird, who lives in the village and helps run the Save the Henfield Peacocks group on Facebook, told the PA news agency that a deal had been reached to give the peacocks a more secure home in the village.
She described the birds as tame and said the village children liked feeding them from their hands.
“Some of the kids found out that they like strawberries,” she said. “During the lockdown they have been visiting people’s gardens.”
The birds roam free around the village but can be tracked down at certain times of the day as they visit specific residents’ homes for food.
During lockdown, their regular visits to a care home provided “a bit of something light” to residents who could not receive human visitors, said Ms Bird.
“We would be quite happy for them to roam but yes, they have been a nuisance to some people and obviously those people have got a right to their opinion.”
Sergeant Tom Carter, wildlife crime lead for Sussex Police, said: “Peacocks are a non-native species and these particular birds have been causing damage to the native environment and nature for some time now.
“They have also been causing distress and inconvenience to some people living in the area, damaging gardens and making excessive noise at all hours of the day.
“It is important for their own safety and welfare, they are captured and removed to a safe sanctuary.
“We are in touch with someone who is happy to assist with this and offer the birds a safe home in the future and we are looking to achieve this as soon as possible.”
The Boys will be taken in by a resident who has volunteered to host them on their land, where they can still be visited by their many fans.
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