Still on the subject of peacocks.....

....I am horrified to read THIS story in the press today! :o(

Seven healthy peacocks that has been resident at Paignton Zoo were culled yesterday on the basis of just one complaint.

The birds in question had escaped the immediate confines of the zoo some time ago and taken up residency in a nearby street where they had taken a liking to a particular tree for roosting purposes. It seems that whilst most residents were only too happy with their new neighbours, one (yes, just one) was unhappy, To be fair, for a few weeks in the spring during the mating season Peacocks make an almighty calling noise which is not particularly conducive to a sleeping 'late on a Sunday morning' but to cull the birds for this reason alone seems appalling to me.

The zoo and the local authority had tried all manner of solutions over time to placate the complainant but ultimately when they were threatened with litigation, as a charitable organisation, they were forced into this sad course of action.

I would so like to know the identity of the complainant in question and have a 'word' in their ear..... this story has particularly angered me but unsurprisingly, not only does this individual present a selfish and uncaring attitude but he or she is also a coward, requesting that their name not be released to the press!

Incidentally, these birds have been at the zoo for over 80 years and were there long before any of the houses affected were.