It is not something one would expect to see in the middle of winter in rural Ontario.
A male peacock was spotted on a turkey farm off Sideroad 20 in Belwood (between Fergus and Orangeville) last week.
The owners of the turkey farm later notified the Guelph Humane Society. An animal services officer arrived on Sunday and was able to capture the bird and brought him to the shelter.
Once he arrived, staff named the peacock, Perry.
“(The owners of the farm) were concerned about it,” said Jane Dawkins, director of communications and community engagement at the humane society.
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“We think it was the food and water (on the farm) that may have attracted the peacock to be there.”
Luckily, Perry didn’t suffer any frostbite while outside in -10 C weather. He is currently being housed in the humane society’s farm animal room where he is said to be resting comfortably.
Officials at the humane society believe Perry may have escaped from a hobby farm in the area. Peacocks don’t often roam in the wild especially during the winter months.
“It is not a wild species in Canada,” Dawkins said. “It is likely it belongs to somebody who owns a hobby farm. That is where we tend to see peacocks in Canada.”
Peacocks maybe rare in our area but it is not the first animal, outside of dogs and cats, that has come through the doors at the humane society.
“We have lots of chickens, ducks, we even had pigs come to our farm animal room,” Dawkins said.
No one has yet to come forward to claim Perry. The peacock is being held for five days, then will go through the animal adoption process.
Dawkins is encouraging anyone with information about the peacock or who it may belong to, to reach out to the Guelph Humane Society at 519-824-3091 or [email protected].
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