Martlesham peacock goes to Norfolk and back in a day

The peacock is one of a pair, believed to be brothers, which have been frequenting the village for around the past eight years.

The twosome have become a popular sight and could often be found wandering through roads and gardens. 

However, residents were saddened to learn that one of the peacocks had been removed on Friday.

It transpired that it had been taken to the RSPCA centre in Mill Lane.  

The centre kept the bird over the weekend in the hopes that someone might claim it. 

When this did not happen, the bird was transferred to Swallow Aquatics in East Harling, Norfolk, which was better equipped to care for birds such as peacocks. 

Dillon Prest is the manager of Swallow Aquatics. He confirmed that the peacock had arrived safe and well on Monday morning.  

The peacock and its brother has been a popular sight in Martlesham for many years. Image: contributed (Image: Contributed)

The peacock was removed from Martlesham on Friday. Image: Contributed (Image: Contributed)

“I would guess that someone came across the peacock and assumed it was an escaped pet,” said Mr Dillon.

He said that while the person who took it to the RSPCA had probably acted with the best of intentions, it is not necessary to attempt to capture peacocks found in the wild. 

“Unless the peacock appears to be injured or in some distress, it is probably best to leave it where it is,” Mr Dillon said.  

He added that several people had been in touch about the peacock on Monday, including a woman who said she was responsible for the peacock. 

At the time of reporting, the peacock had been collected from Swallow Aquatics, and was due to arrive back home in Martlesham, to the delight of residents.