Female Peacock, Or Peahen, Back At Bronx Zoo After Escape
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) – A female peacock, or peahen, that escaped Monday from the Bronx Zoo is back home.
The fugitive bird has been roaming the streets of the Bronx since Monday. Zoo Director Jim Breheny said she was found Wednesday morning in the garage of a local business and safely caught.
Breheny said the bird has been examined by veterinarians and seems to be fine.
"We thank our Bronx neighbors and the New York Police Department for helping us retrieve our peahen this morning," said Breheny. "We are confident that after this peahen's recent adventure, she won't want to wander from her home at the zoo."
Breheny told 1010 WINS that a local business owner "managed to corral [the bird] in his shop and he notified the police department."
"I just ran out there to make sure it was really a valid tip and the bird was there and we picked up the bird and brought it back to the health center," he said.
The zoo's peacocks and peahens wander freely but usually stay inside the zoo.
"In general, they're not inclined to leave the property, but for some reason this bird just got curious," Breheny said.
During her three day escapade, zoo handlers almost caught her twice as she perched on top of a car and later on a fence.
But she was playing hard to get. Whenever the handlers made their move, she flew off.
Her flight from captivity came just weeks after a missing Bronx Zoo cobra caused a nationwide splash. The snake disappeared from his home in March, sparking a little fear and a lot of intrigue with his own Twitter page to chronicle his adventures.
The cobra was found a week later, still in the reptile house, but this peahen was off the reservation.
And like the cobra, she too is racking up a following on Twitter, with posts like "Life is good! Freedom and a Yankees win!"
WCBS 880's Sean Adams: The Peahen Is Tweeting!
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And she seems to already be working on a new career.
"Mrs. Peacock from Clue: The Musical, who do I have to talk to to get the role?" according to another tweet.
Like many celebrities, though, an impostor has apparently also taken to Twitter. It's not clear which one of the two accounts is the real thing.
Unlike peacocks, peahens do not have the large plume of feathers on the their backs, so she may be harder to spot.
Should changes be made at the Bronx Zoo after these animal escapes? Leave a comment below…
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