WILLOUGHBY, Ohio — They love to court, can fly only 2% of the time and are known for their bright-colored feathers; we're talking about peacocks, and one is missing in Willoughby, and they need your help to find it.
To many of us, when we think of a peacock, it’s something we see at the zoo, but for one family, the exotic bird is one of their beloved pets that they just want to get back. Off Bell Road, you can find all kinds of animals, dogs, deer hawks and chipmunks, but what resident Dave LaVigna has yet to see is a peacock.
“As long as I’ve lived here, that's the first I heard of it,” said LaVigna.
So LaVigna and the Willoughby Police Department were both surprised to learn a peacock was missing.
“In 32 years of law enforcement I’ve never gone on a peacock search,” said Detective Lieutenant John Begovic with the Willoughby Police Department.
Weeks ago, off Bell Road, four peacocks escaped from the backyard of a home; a pen door was left open, so they were able to get out, police said.
“They quickly located two of the white ones across the street at a neighbor's yard. The third one, unfortunately, was struck by a vehicle, and the fourth one is still missing,” said Begovic.
The last two birds had been missing for weeks, then Sunday around 11 a.m., one was struck on Route 2, a mile and a half away from the owner's home. That’s when the owners told the police about the search.
“Well they're upset. I mean, they they've been raising these things for about two years now. Their grandchildren love coming over and playing with them, seeing them,” Begovic said.
Begovic went to the home and said that peacocks aren't the only pets they have.
“It's one of the nicest pens I’ve ever seen,” Begovic said. “They have chickens, roosters. They used to have pheasants, but again, their pride is peacocks, so they had more in there.”
Though it's not among their usual calls, the police department brought the bird that was hit by the car to the family, where they will lay it to rest. The department has also put calls out to find the last peacock.
LaVigna hasn't spotted his neighbor's colorful feathered friend yet, but he and his dog are willing to help their neighbors find their missing pet.
“I’ll probably keep my eyes up a little bit more,” said LaVigna.
We looked up some guidelines about what to do if you come across a peacock: give it some space, and don't try to catch it yourself or feed it.
If you do see this missing peacock in Willoughby, you should give the police a call.
