For the last 25 years, Churchill Park has had peacocks take up residence in a pen in the park. Now a pair of the colourful birds have a new home on a farm in Flamborough.
After a year long search, the City of Cambridge has finally found a new home for the exotic birds with Lisa DiCesare and her husband Brian Hansell.
The couple offered to take the birds in to their 40-acre farm where they care for a number of rescue animals, including three lambs, a donkey, a pony, a horse and other birds.
“Ethically, I think people know that where they were was not the best environment. People were feeding them, chasing them, and they were at risk of getting injured from a pet or by eating something they shouldn’t," said DiCesare.
The city has been working to end the practice of keeping wildlife for public display, said Michael Hausser, director of operations with the City of Cambridge.
“Moving the peacocks out of the park is significant, not only because it is best for their welfare, but it also marks the end of the city’s history of keeping animals penned up in parks," added Hausser.
Despite the two birds being moved in Spring 2022, Cambridge residents have reported seeing the fancy fowl in their residential neighbourhoods.
Despite many attempts, one of the birds remains elusive, as it never returned to the park pen.
“We are aware that it is still being spotted in the surrounding residential neighbourhood and continue to receive calls from residents,” said Hausser. “The good news is these birds are able to survive on their own outside captivity.”
One Cambridge resident even captured the stray peacock drinking from her bird path and posted it on social media.
During the 25 year period of having the birds in the park, they would often fly out of their pen and be found in neighbouring yards and residential streets, added Hausser.
DiCesare and her husband have a plan to catch the runaway bird and will try and bring it back to their farm to join the others.
The birds are settling into their new home and have been been named Winston and Churchill.
While they wait for their friend to join them, the fowls from Cambridge have been busy; being added to a pen with their female counterparts, DiCesare said Churchill will soon become a father. The hachlings are expected to be born around July 20.
“We are happy to provide a safe home to them,” said DiCesare. “Our family has roots in Cambridge, our son and daughter-in-law live there and our cousins had a farm there when I was growing up. I hope residents know the ‘boys’ are in good hands and good company.”