Zoo Facts

Is the Zoo really getting rid of its peafowl?

Yes. After decades of the beautiful, beloved birds roaming the zoo, they will be caught up and sent to certified, country homes. We share the disappointment felt by many of our guests and members, as the birds are part of our daily lives. However, our priorities must always be the safety of our visitors and the well-being of our animals.

Why?

When a peacock unexpectedly scratched a 4-year-old boy’s face May 24, we took steps to find the bird and then placed him in an unoccupied exhibit. It’s important to note that the little boy did nothing to provoke the peacock. He had just gotten off the train with his family and did nothing to aggravate the bird. We believe that other children had cornered the peacock earlier, causing stress to the bird. But the little boy and his family were innocent bystanders.

What many people have not known is that we’ve been moving toward having fewer peafowl at the zoo for the past six years. The problem: peafowl move freely through the zoo, traveling from exhibit to exhibit, eating and defecating, which can spread disease to our animals. Eighteen months ago, our veterinary team strongly recommended that we remove all peafowl because of the disease risk. After the recent attack, we expedited the process of finding new homes for our birds.

Where can I see peafowl now?

Maryhill Museum of Art, 35 Maryhill Museum Drive, Goldendale, WA
Petersen Rock Garden, 7930 SW 77th Street, Redmond, OR

 

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