Wandering Des Moines peacock caught by Animal Rescue League of Iowa over the weekend

Virginia Barreda, Des Moines Register
·2 min read

The feathery saga continues: Des Moines' favorite wandering peacock was captured by the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, the state's largest animal shelter, over the weekend.

The peacock had been on the move from treetop to rooftop since last week, ruffling feathers in the Merle Hay neighborhood. Multiple neighbors who spotted the plumed vagabond expressed their hopes of seeing it reunited with its rightful owner.

More: A vagabond peacock is ruffling feathers in a Des Moines neighborhood. Have you spotted him?

The peacock was captured Saturday after neighbors spotted the turquoise, green, purple, and a deep royal blue bird off Hickman Road, near Franklin Junior High School, Animal Rescue League spokesperson Jessie Phillips told the Des Moines Register. ARL staff took the bird to the ARL facilities in Des Moines.

Des Moines' favorite wandering peacock was captured by the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, the state's largest animal shelter. The peacock had been on the move from treetop to rooftop since Aug. 3, 2022, ruffling feathers in the Merle Hay neighborhood.
Des Moines' favorite wandering peacock was captured by the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, the state's largest animal shelter. The peacock had been on the move from treetop to rooftop since Aug. 3, 2022, ruffling feathers in the Merle Hay neighborhood.

Any animal that comes into the ARL as a stray is added to the iowapetalert.com within 24 hours, and held for seven days, Phillips said. If the owner has not claimed the animal within that time, the ARL puts the animal up for adoption.

Phillips told the Register Monday the organization was contacted by someone who says the peacock is theirs.

"We are hopeful to reunite the bird with its owner this week," she said.

The ARL cares for a handful of peacocks every year, typically from rescue cases or owner surrenders, Phillips added, though it’s rare to hear of a peacock roaming a neighborhood.

Des Moines' favorite wandering peacock was captured by the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, the state's largest animal shelter. The peacock had been on the move from treetop to rooftop since Aug. 3, 2022, ruffling feathers in the Merle Hay neighborhood.
Des Moines' favorite wandering peacock was captured by the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, the state's largest animal shelter. The peacock had been on the move from treetop to rooftop since Aug. 3, 2022, ruffling feathers in the Merle Hay neighborhood.

How to claim a lost pet

The ARL offers resources on how to help owners reconnect with their missing pets.

The organization suggests first checking websites such as iowapetalert.com, Petco Love Lost, Nextdoor.com, or Facebook lost pet groups to see if their animal has been located by someone.

ARL officials suggest repeatedly checking local stray-intake facilities in your city. Bring a current photo of your pet to help others identify a match.

If possible, microchip your pet and keep the microchip information up to date. For more details, visit arl-iowa.org/pet-help/lost-and-found-pets/my-pet-is-missing/.

Virginia Barreda is a trending and general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2. 

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Wandering Des Moines peacock caught by Animal Rescue League of Iowa