Cambridge peacock evades capture attempts, while two others relocate to farm

A pair of peacocks are settling in to a new life on a Flamborough farm after living at Churchill Park in Cambridge for years, but a third bird isn’t so eager to make the move.

For about 25 years, animals lived at the park and the peacocks were the last ones standing. But now the city has put an end to pens in the park so a nearby farm decided to take them in.

“Like many municipalities, we have been working to end the practice of keeping wildlife for public display,” said Michael Hausser, director of operations with the City of Cambridge, in a news release on the city’s website.

NEW HOME

Two of the peacocks, named Winston and Churchill, successfully moved to Point of View Farm.

Winston and Churchill seen at Point of View Farm on July 13, 2023. (CTV News/Stefanie Davis)It took a few weeks of visits and building trust, according to the owner of the farm Lisa Dicesare, but they successfully caught the first two birds with a blanket and a crate.

“We made sure that we had a suitable housing for them," Dicesare said.

Winston and Churchill have been settling in nicely for about a year.

THIRD BIRD

The third bird appears to be hesitant to make the move and instead is determined to stick with what and who he knows.

“I get reports from people in and around the park that he's quite happy raiding their bird feeders,” Dicesare said.

The third peacock has been spotted in the area by many neighbours, who said they enjoy seeing the beautiful bird.

“He's friends with all of us, we all call him different names. My neighbour calls him John. I call him Melvin,” said one resident.

Another resident said it often sits on front porches or appears on front lawns.

A photo of the third peacock taken by a neighbour. (Submitted/Bob Barlow)The farm and the city are keeping a close eye on him.

 

“It may not be the best and safest for the peacock to be in an urban environment where people feed, so as we find, we'll capture that," said Yogesh Shah, the deputy manager of infrastructure services with the City Of Cambridge.

The farm owner admitted peacocks are resilient animals and fare well on their own but she’s still hoping she catches him when the time is right, so he can join Winston and Churchill on the farm.

"He just could be a little more stubborn or he could just be a bit of a loner," said Dicesare.

And while he has many names from Bob to Peter, the farm has another name reserved for the peacock.

"If we can get the third one, we're thinking maybe Cambridge would be a good name for him," Dicesare said.