Calgary Zoo says peacock killed after flying into lion’s habitat

CALGARY Calgary Zoo officials say one of their peacocks flew too high and too far — right into the waiting jaws of one of its lions.

Last week, just days before colourful bevy of birds were set to huddle in their winter habitat until spring, one of the more adventurous birds managed to flap its way into the African lion habitat on the east side of St. George’s Island.

The result was sadly predictable. Zoo spokeswoman Trish ExtonParder said keepers at the zoo were stunned by the audacity of the plucky peacock, who as a species aren’t generally known for long distance flights.

“It’s not normal peacock behaviour that a bird would fly that high and that far into a habitat,” she said.

“To go as high as it did over a building is a feat in itself.”

The remaining collection of a half dozen male peacocks — the zoo has no peahens — are now safely tucked away in their winter enclosure, but Exton-Parder said the incident likely won’t result in any changes to the tradition of allowing the birds to walk free on the zoo grounds.

“There are no conversations right now about whether one of them will do that again,” she said.

“We love the fact that peacocks wander through the gardens, and the visitors do, too.”

The peacock’s death marks the second the zoo has seen this year after a sly mother fox managed to slink its way onto St. George’s Island and devour one of the birds in June.

Exton-Parder said it was also a freak incident, as the zoo has extensive anti-predation protocols.

“Somehow, the wily fox got in and had a little family after she got her fill,” she said, noting after allowing the fox to have her litter in a den safely away from the zoo’s other animals, they moved the family outside the city.

“We ended up losing a peacock but gaining a fox family.”

Anytime the zoo loses an animal it’s a difficult time for staffers who are invested in keeping their charges healthy and safe, ExtonParder said.

“It’s upsetting for the animal care team because it’s such an unexpected incident,” she said.

Earlier this year, Saskatoon’s Forestry Farm Park and Zoo decided to send its collection of peacocks to other Canadian zoos out of concern for their quality of life.

The birds had been allowed to roam freely in summer, but were kept in cages indoors through the winter months. They were moved to zoos in Calgary and Toronto.