Peacocks and Peacock Poop Take Over Pinellas Florida Neighborhood

Memmay Moore, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Feb 14, 2010 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

As a transplant from Boston, where most of the wildlife consists of pigeons, squirrels and skunks, I am continually amazed by the wildlife here in Florida. The rapid real estate development combined with Floridians love of exotic pets, has resulted in some strange living combinations of people and critters.

Personally, I have encountered alligators, wild pigs, coyotes, wood storks, sand hill cranes, possums, rabbits and foxes. I have also seen peacocks hanging around in supermarket parking lots and building sites.

Pinellas County is one of the most beautiful places in Florida. Next to Tampa and surrounded by water, some of the most beautiful beaches and real estate are located here. However, one Pinellas neighborhood is very unhappy. It has been invaded by peacocks. Yes, big beautiful, majestic peacocks with their gorgeous feathers, have taken over an entire neighborhood.

When I first came to Florida, a few years ago, my cousin took me out for a drive to see something amazing. He didn't tell me where we were going but drove out to a small attractive neighborhood in nearby Pinellas County, Sandy Lawn Estates.

A short way into the neighborhood, I saw what he was talking about.... peacocks. These gorgeous birds were out there, strutting their exquisite blue, green, and purple, plumage, walking around and pecking at the ground... just like the Boston pigeons do. Some were in driveways. Some were in backyards. No one was even paying any attention to them.

Now, a few years later, people are paying attention to them. The peacocks have taken over Sandy Lawn Estates and have become a huge problem to residents. It seems twenty years ago, a resident had a pair as pets. When he died they got loose and reproduced. Today, as many as sixty of the big birds roam the small neighborhood. They lay their eggs everywhere and more baby peacocks are being born every day.

Now they are in backyards, on roofs, patios and doorsteps. Their droppings are everywhere. Children can't play outside because of piles of peacock poop. The peacocks are territorial and scare off intruders, especially small kids. They pull off shingles and eat up grass seed as fast as the home owner puts it down. They are noisy and land with a thump on residents' roofs at night. They holler and honk as one resident described, sounding like a "whipped child." Because some residents feed them, they have no fear of humans.

Animal Control will not remove them. Animal Services does not have the capability to deal with them, and Public Health does not consider them a serious threat.

Residents can hire private trappers and pay them to get rid of the peacocks. It is illegal to poison peacocks in Pinellas. Residents are not allowed to shoot them even if the peacocks are on their property. Peacocks are edible but they do not taste as good as turkey. As one resident of Shady Lawn Estates remarked, "I do so wish they were chickens."

Sources:

Personal Experience

Wikipedia

St. Pete Times

Published by Memmay Moore

I am a transfer to Tampa from Boston where I had many years experience in health and nutrition education. I am now enjoying a new career in writing and photography. View profile

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Peacocks and Peacock Poop Take Over Pinellas Florida Neighborhood

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