Loose peacock roams Downtown Edwardsville, capture attempts by owner unsuccessful

EDWARDSVILLE - The streets of Edwardsville have gotten a lot more colorful throughout the course of the day.

Edwardsville residents have been taking to social media to track down a peacock that has escaped from its owner’s property.

“Our department has received calls that a peacock has escaped its pen and made its way into the Downtown area,” Lt. Charlie Kohlberg of the Edwardsville Police Department said this afternoon. “The owner has tried to catch their pet and was unsuccessful.”

Members of the Facebook group entitled “Lost and Found Pets of Madison County” have been tracking the bird around town, who is named "Paul the Peacock" by his owner. They have also taken photos of his recent whereabouts Downtown, including The Bank of Edwardsville, New Fellowship Church, and even on the roof at the Wildey Theatre.

Peafowl like “Paul” are omnivores and according to National Geographic, a male peafowl is one of the largest flying birds when the combined length of its train and its large wingspan are considered.

At this time, Kohlberg also mentioned that no outside animal control has been contacted to attempt to capture the majestic bird. As of 5 p.m., the peacock has still yet to have been safely returned to its owner. 

“Conventional methods used to capture birds like this may not seem to work,” he said.

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