Though not all residents are on board, the city is looking to push ahead with its Peafowl Management Plan, which now calls for resident volunteers to help trap the peacocks and peahens in their yards to assist with relocation efforts.
Residents who would like to volunteer must have space in their backyard or side yard to fit a 10-by-10-foot cage. Volunteers should not have dogs that can access the cage and should be able to check the cage twice a day — once in the morning and once at night.
Food and water will be provided by local trapping contractor, Raptor Events LLC, and residents will be required to sign an agreement that will permit the contractor to enter the property.
According to the management plan, once a peafowl is trapped, they become property of the contractor. The sanctuaries or “foster homes,” that the peafowls will be relocated to are screened by the contractor and reviewed by City Council; ensuring that the birds have enough space to roam freely. Locations and contact information for the entities accepting the peafowls are confidential to protect their privacy, the document noted.
Previously, Councilwoman Evelyn Zneimer said that the birds will be safe and cared for at the relocation sites and mentioned that one sanctuary is located in San Diego and another is on a 50-acre-property in Northern California.
Not all residents are on-board with the removal and relocation of the South Pasadena peafowls, however.
Monterey Hills resident Rachel Pinckney has raised concerns about the peafowl volunteer program and the overall management plan.
“I’m very sad about this,” she said. “I feel that a few [residents] started to complain and I don’t understand how this choice can be made for everyone.”
Pinckney told the Review that her whole family enjoys watching the peacocks and peahens around South Pasadena and that the city’s efforts to manage and reduce the existing peafowl does not coincide with the census count of the birds.
“Last year, the city counted 36 peafowls and 36 peafowls over this whole area –– a bird that roams continuously — doesn’t seem to be a problem to me. I know that they were brought here in the 1920s and I don’t feel that there’s a population problem,” she said.
“I don’t see 36 at a time — sometimes I see seven at a time, at most, I’ve seen nine. They’re not in big herds, they’re scattered,” she continued.
Pinckney said that she has built a connection with the peafowls over the years and explained that they are, “very unique to the area.”
Pinckney also disagreed with other residents’ complaints on the peafowls and explained that the birds are not a deterrent for future residents moving to South Pasadena.
“I do believe that the peafowls add value to my property, and I believe that they are something that is unique to this area. … It’s not like you can live anywhere and have these types of experiences with nature and such beauty. I have a hard time understanding how people take that for granted, especially in these times,” she said.
The City Council adopted the plan to relocate the peacocks and peahens on Oct. 5. The plan came about when residents in South Pasadena, particularly in the Monterey Hills area, raised concerns regarding increased damage to residents’ property and vehicles by peafowls.
In response to these concerns, Pasadena Humane conducted a peafowl census to determine the size of the population. The census concluded that there were 36 peafowls as of June 2021. The findings showed an increasing peafowl population and the nuisance they pose. The Peafowl Management Plan contracts with a professional trapper to relocate the birds.
Pinckney, meanwhile, emphasized that finding an alternative to trapping and relocating the peafowls is important.
“I do know that people are angry because the peafowls cause damage to property, like cars, but they are just trying to defend their area, like anyone would where they live.
“The city is spending $250 per peacock, in total that’s $9,000. They can buy everyone a car cover. There are so many things that can be done before extraction,” she added.
According to the City Council meeting agenda for Nov. 16, councilmembers were scheduled this week to have a second reading and adopt an ordinance to prohibit the feeding of peafowls.
“I have no problem with the feeding ordinance,” Pinckney said. “It’s understandable and I think that everyone can agree with that to come to a compromise, I just have a problem with their removal.
“[The peafowls] have a community. They’ve lived here a long time. Before me, and probably before the people who are complaining, the peacocks were here,” she continued.
The full Peafowl Management Plan is available on the city’s website. For more information or to obtain the agreement, visit southpasadenaca.gov/government/departments/communityservices/animal-resources.
If you are interested in placing a trap in your yard, contact Community Services Deputy Director Lucy Hakobian at (626) 403-7380 or at lhakobian@southpasadenaca.gov
