Peacocks getting booted from Orlando neighborhood

ORLANDO, Fla. - Orlando’s Wadeview Park neighborhood is known for its peacocks, but some will be trapped and relocated.

In Orlando’s Wadeview Park neighborhood, you’ll see peacocks in trees, lawns, roofs, and even crossing the road. The peacocks have been in the community for decades and are beloved by many.

"They’re beautiful. Even the sound of them makes me happy," said one resident. "I moved here partly because of the peacocks. I love them so much. They’re just a staple of our community."

However, after a complaint to the city from a resident about the peacocks being a health issue and damaging property, one peacock was removed.

"I went, and there were three inches of poop all over their front yard," said City Commissioner Patty Sheehan. "There was poop all over their cars and all over the roof of their house. And I'm like, wow, I wouldn't want to live like this."

Commissioner Sheehan says she used city discretionary funds to hire a wildlife trapper after unsuccessful efforts to move them with things like light lasers. So far, one peacock has been removed from the resident’s property. Commissioner Sheehan says the issue is that they’re being fed, especially in one area near the home.

"Everybody's feeding them, and the more you feed invasive wild animals, the more you're going to have," said Sheehan. "We went from having 15 or 20 peacocks to having almost 100. So it's not that big of a deal if they're dispersed throughout the neighborhood, but they have tended to congregate into yards."

However, many longtime residents are upset and worried about the neighborhood peacocks.

"This is why the neighborhood is up in arms right now," said Resident Michael Nickerson. "Most people have lived here for ages. It’s not a new phenomenon that these peacocks arrived overnight."

"It’s certainly a sensitive issue in this neighborhood. The neighborhood’s identity is from the peacocks. It’s a symbol of our neighborhood," he continued.

Commissioner Sheehan said there are no plans to eliminate all the peacocks, but they would like to trap and relocate more to thin the herd.

"We're going to trap a few more at the house. Not if they continue to feed them elsewhere and they don't bother these poor people, and they spread it out through the neighborhood, this might solve the problem," she said. "To help these poor people who are disproportionately impacted by everyone else's actions."