Pete the peacock flew the coop on his first night in Kingsbrae Garden, on the southern shores of New Brunswick. That was about two months ago B次元官网网址� and itB次元官网网址檚 been a wild goose chase ever since.

The fowl arrived June 16 in the town of Saint Andrews and was placed in quarantine before the one-year-old peacock could be introduced to others.

B次元官网网址淭he following morning B次元官网网址� Saturday morning B次元官网网址� the cage was empty,B次元官网网址� said Brad Henderson, managing director of Kingsbrae Garden, a public garden that describes itself on its website as a B次元官网网址渕ulti-award-winning, 27-acre horticultural masterpiece.B次元官网网址�

Staff at the garden B次元官网网址渢hought the worst,B次元官网网址� Henderson said Monday in an interview, because the area has a fox on the loose. But before garden authorities could even get the word out about the bird on the lam, they began getting calls about a peacock in the neighbourhood.

B次元官网网址淚t gave us hope that the peacock has survived, but unfortunately, for the last month we havenB次元官网网址檛 heard a single thing. No one has seen a peacock. No oneB次元官网网址檚 reporting a peacock,B次元官网网址� Henderson said.

B次元官网网址淪o, we donB次元官网网址檛 know what to think anymore.B次元官网网址�

A little digging by garden staff revealed a hole by PeteB次元官网网址檚 enclosure that was burrowed from the outside B次元官网网址� meaning something could have got in. But other than a few stray feathers, there was nothing B次元官网网址渙verly concerningB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� like blood B次元官网网址� so itB次元官网网址檚 possible that the bird is alive, Henderson said.

B次元官网网址淭here is like a branch and stuff that the peacock could get up on,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪o, what we were hoping is that indeed a fox did dig in, but the peacock jumped up where the fox couldnB次元官网网址檛 get him and then the fox left. The bird just went out the same hole.B次元官网网址�

Garden authorities put out a note on Facebook on June 21 asking people to contact them if they see a peacock.

B次元官网网址淚f you spot a random peacock in or around town, chances are itB次元官网网址檚 ours,B次元官网网址� the post said. B次元官网网址淲e have a brand new one that doesnB次元官网网址檛 know where B次元官网网址榟omeB次元官网网址� is. Please reach out if you see it!B次元官网网址�

About two weeks after Pete went missing, a peacock was seen hanging out in a tree in Fredericton, about an hour-and-a-half drive away from Saint Andrews. Garden authorities checked out the photo and determined by the head feathers that it wasnB次元官网网址檛 Pete.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know what the chances of having two peacocks roaming around freely in New Brunswick are, but thatB次元官网网址檚 what happened to us,B次元官网网址� Henderson said with a laugh.

Nick Lund, a network manager for Maine Audubon, described peacocks B次元官网网址� IndiaB次元官网网址檚 official bird B次元官网网址� as being B次元官网网址減retty hardy.B次元官网网址�

The Indian peafowl, as they are officially known, are regular escapees or wanderers from places where they are kept domestically or as pets, he said in an email.

B次元官网网址淭hey arenB次元官网网址檛 likely to fly very far and prefer to walk. ItB次元官网网址檚 unlikely that the bird has gone very far, as they donB次元官网网址檛 typically migrate. In most places B次元官网网址� like this garden, I suspect B次元官网网址� theyB次元官网网址檙e often not caged or restrained because they donB次元官网网址檛 tend to wander,B次元官网网址� Lund said.

B次元官网网址淭he bird will be fine outside until the winter.B次元官网网址�

The garden has two other peacocks and three peahens in residence. About six years ago, a peacock named Nelson bolted from the property and landed in a neighbourhood golf course.

B次元官网网址淭he hard part is catching them, right?B次元官网网址� Henderson said. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e not the easiest thing to catch. TheyB次元官网网址檙e pretty quick B次元官网网址� pretty smart. But we were able to eventually catch him.B次元官网网址�

Since then, he said garden staff have spent more time with Nelson, letting him know that food is easily available with them. The bird hasnB次元官网网址檛 left since.

Henderson said the peacocksB次元官网网址� wings are not clipped and the birds are free to roam. Usually, they choose to stay in the garden because itB次元官网网址檚 relatively safe B次元官网网址� except for the pesky fox. The garden is also home to ducks and alpacas, all of which are now put safely away in enclosures every night so they donB次元官网网址檛 become fox food.

B次元官网网址淚 call him a nuisance,B次元官网网址� he said of the fox. B次元官网网址淲e hope he moves along his way and leaves the garden, or you know, goes back out into the woods into the countryside.B次元官网网址�

Since his escape, Pete has managed to evade cameras and attention B次元官网网址� although there have been a number of false alarms.

B次元官网网址淪omebody called us to say that they had seen the peacock. When we went, it was a turkey. A wild turkey,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淎nd someone said they heard it in their backyard and when we went to their backyard, it was a frog.B次元官网网址�

Henderson is hopeful Pete is flourishing wherever he is and getting to eat plenty of his favourite berries, leaves and insects.

B次元官网网址淗e could literally be anywhere in the entire province,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪aint Andrews is on the coast of Maine B次元官网网址� so maybe even internationally.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擧ina Alam, The Canadian Press

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