SUNRISE, Fla. – South Florida is filled with animal lovers willing to do anything to save our defenseless creatures.
But what do we do when that animal is invasive or non-native to our state or local areas?
Local 10′s animal advocate Jacey Birch faced that very problem when homeowners called asking for help to rehome a wayward and homeless peahen.
The preening peahen walks up and down the streets of a gated community in Sunrise, spreading her wings and strutting her stuff.
“Gertie is basically our mascot here. We don’t know how she got here or where she came from,” Sunrise resident Lonnie Fravel said.
“She’s up and down the street all the time, flies up on top of the roofs of the houses, the cars as well,” neighbor Ed Knapp said.
“She just showed up one day and she won’t leave,” Paul Stitcher added.
Was she dumped? Left behind? Nobody knows!
But she has definitely decided this is her home, whether the other homeowners like it or not.
“My dog sits by the glass door and she barks every time the bird comes up and, unfortunately, I think this bird has a personality that just wants to tease my dog,” Knapp joked.
Neighbor Vickie Prescott says the bird poop drives her crazy.
“Even though she’s adorable, she’s annoying because she uses the bathroom on our driveways and our sidewalks,” she said.
Prescott has resorted to scaring away Gertie with a little game.
“I got to the point that I was chasing her with the water gun, trying to get her off my pavement,” Prescott said.
And Stitcher says he’s tired of her using his truck as a Port-O-Potty.
But this beautiful bird needs a suitable home, not in trucks or trees on this suburban street.
“She just doesn’t have a better home for herself,” Fravel said.
The South Florida Wildlife Center, Pelican Harbor Seabird Station and Flamingo Gardens all said no to taking Gertie due to her being a non-native species.
Gertie should also be in a group as peafowl are highly intelligent, social and playful animals.
“She’s sneaky,” Prescott said. “She walks up right towards you in the middle of your interview. She’s very smart -- she’s very smart, but very sneaky.”
So Birch is on a search to rehome Gertie.
A peafowl sanctuary would be ideal, or a home with a bird lover who has the time and money to care for another peahen.
Animal sanctuaries or individuals interested in providing a home for Gertie are asked to email Birch at jbirch@wplg.com.