Call for last village peacock to fly the nest
DRIVING down a residential road you can usually expect to see children playing, a few cats lounging in the sun, and even a dog or two - but one local village has something a little more exotic on offer.
A peacock, lovingly known as Pete to a few residents, has been strutting his stuff across Bramhall for a few years now - the last of a flock who took over the village with their avian antics in 2014.
The group, which some residents claim was as large as 16 at one point, is thought to have originated from a few peacocks owned by one of the people living in the village.
People believe the birds started to mate, and the flock turned feral, with five birds ending up inside a grandmother’s home causing chaos.
Pete is the last remaining member of the flock, after all the other birds were rounded up and taken to Heaton Park. The thenyoung male was a bit more timid than his flock-mates, and he avoided the trap set up for the birds.
But now, residents think it’s time for Pete to move on, as he’s become quite lonely without any fellow feathered friends. Paul Rushton, 59, has been looking out for Pete for some time, feeding him grapes and granola.
The bird has been visiting his home most days for the past six years, but Paul doesn’t want him to live the rest of his life alone. He said: “This guy was too timid and he’s been left on his own, walking around the streets of Bramhall for six years calling out, looking for a mate.
“He’s fine, he’s in perfect condition, and they can live for up to 20 years, it’s just going to be a long time if he’s on his own. He seems a bit sad, he must be lonely.”
Paul is hoping someone can help find Pete a new home, where he can spend the rest of his days with other peacocks.
Pete has been a good companion over the years, bringing lots of joy to people across the village, but his screeching in the early hours of the morning does bother some people.
Paul added: “If there’s any noise he just goes off, he screams and screams.
“When we were all clapping for the NHS at 8 o’clock on Thursdays, you could hear him yelling along too.
“He’s here nearly every day, he can spend up to 12 hours just sat about in the garden, he doesn’t seem bothered by me at all.
“Sometimes he stands at my front door waiting in the morning, he looks brilliant and there are often people stopping outside to look at him or take pictures.”
Coun Linda Holt, who helped with the 2014 operation to move the birds, will be sorry to see the last Bramhall peacock go, but hopes Pete can find a good home.
She said: “He’s the last one left, the youngest one, and no matter what we did we just couldn’t catch him.
“Now he’s constantly in Paul’s garden screeching at 3 o’clock in the morning.
“We feel sorry for him to be honest, he’s on his own now, but it’s very difficult to catch them.
“I know some people keep peacocks, I think the comedian John Bishop has a few, so if there’s anybody out there who might want him then he’s really lonely.
“They’re beautiful birds and it’s lovely to see them but he needs to be with his mates.”