Sometime last week 7 male peacocks were killed at Paignton Zoo after a local resident had made a complaint about the noise they were making. The free-ranging peafowl would often wander about in streets near to the zoo where most people liked to see them, but one of the zoo's neighbours thought they were too noisy. This person complained to Torbay council and threatened legal action. Obviously when he moved into a house alongside a zoo he did not realise animals make a noise. Paignton Zoo claim they could not send the birds to another collection, so reluctantly each was given a lethal injection by the vet. The other residents of the street concerned have reacted angrily to the zoo's action. The zoo have stated that with a vacant territory up for grabs, other peacocks will move into the area alongside the houses. The easiest solution is for the complainer to go and live somewhere else. No doubt the members of this site would not mind living in close proximity to a zoo, but not everyone would like to. I wonder what this person thinks of the local herring gulls. I was in a hotel in July last year and there was a colony of gulls in the street. At first the non-stop noise throughout the night was unbearable but after a few days I became accustomed to it.
I have first hand experiece of this. Last year a Peacock moved into the Churchyard opposite my house, having left its fellows living at a large mansion nearby. It makes a deafening noise thoughout February- July, especially early mornings, evenings, and in the middle of the night too. Not only does it answer the calls repeatedly in answer to the other males still on the nearby estate, but also whenever there is any sudden noise - passing lorry, thunder, people talking, farm machinery, dog barking etc etc. It roosts in a tree only about seventy yards from my bedroom.... I have found quietly displacing it from its roost tree in the evening helps as it doesn't return till next morning (its pretty nervous) Now I like peacocks but even I admit the noise is terrible and wakes us up, even tho' I'm totally used to it so I can partly sympathise with the neighbour at Paignton zoo. But in that case the culled birds will probably be replaced in time by others. In my case, people here seem divided about 50/50 between the noise nuisance and liking the bird. I tell other people around here that this bird will shut up in July when it moults its tail.(It did last year)
There are two things in this situation that I don't like. First it was just one complaint. I hate it when a local authority caves in because of just one complaint. Everyone else is happy with the situation but just one person.... The second thing is when people move to a new area and then start immediatly agitating to get things changed, removed, closed down because they don't like it. This could be a factory, sports ground, night club or in this case aniamls from a zoo. To me, when you move into an area you have no right to complain about what is already there. You should have done your jomework first and if there was something you don't like about the neighbourhood, you don'y move ther.
Well said Jay. Near to where I live the neighbouring local authority have recently been responsible for the closure of kennels which have operated for over 30 years. One resident complained about the noise from the dogs so it had to go. The council ignored protests and petitions to keep the business running. 'We have had a complaint' was their only response. So that makes one against and several dozen for. Unfortunately that is democracy in the UK today. Always look after the minority, they have human rights. Someone has lost his business and livliehood, others have lost their jobs, and the customers have lost somewhere to board their animals. I'm so glad just one person is now happier.
"You should do your homework first"- fair comment but if you bought your house between July - January(British autumn and winter) and knew nothing about the habits of Peacocks, you wouldn't know what a din they can make in the spring... I think the neighbour was a bit extreme- he could have got the birds to shift the same way I do my one.
aARGH-ArRRk ArgH-arrrK!!! cant say i'de love it... okay. bongorob - i hate whingy neighbours too. i grew up next door to a pub and my family never complained. it was annoying when ********s would hang around in the st, but it was there first after all. as for the zoo however - the peafowl are free-ranging and from what you say were leaving the zoo. therefore i think the zoo has a responsibility to control them. if they felt that the most practical soloution was to destroy the birds, then i would have a guess that they had waaay to many peafowl. maybe the zoo should take a little more car eto control their breeding so as to make sure their birds don't continue to be short on available "territory" in the zoos own grounds...
im inclined to agree. noise, well just suck it neighbour, you moved next door to a zoo. but whether its peacocks, or feral pigeons, rats or elephants, the zoo has an obligation to keep those animals and the problems they create on the right side of the fence. too bad peacocks. and a bird flu risk (how do i do a roll eyes symbol)
though in revenge, the zoo should get an aviary with kookaburras, and put some plovers on the ground...and throw in a couple of yellow tailed black cockatoos and baby galahs for good measure
The zoo has about 80 free-flying peacocks. They tried moving them away from the boundary alongside the residential area but they came back. Duh! Did they not realise this. As they say more peacocks will move in to this area anyway.
Quote from Chester Zoo News July 1966 'Residents of houses close to Chester Zoo are well aware of the vocal power of the male Wapiti during the rutting season, as the rather high pitched call can be heard for some distance.' The moral is obviously, if you live near a zoo, expect noise. The same can be said if you live by a factory, airport, railway station, motorway, school, etc. Some noise is unavoidable and the only thing to do is put up with it.
That's EXACTLY how it goes, (plus variations- AH- honk,ah-honk, and a long drawn out 'Maaoooow') early morning, daytime, evening, night- every day. Interesting this thread has generated a lot of comment!. Did you know that when King Henry the Eighth's 2nd wife- Anne Boleyn, was 'lying in' expecting her child (the future Elizabeth Ist) at Hampton Court Palace, she complained about the noise of the Peacock he'd recently acquired- to placate her he had the bird removed to one of his other palaces... Nothing is new... It is probably one of the LOUDEST and most frequent noises in a zoo like Paignton, which unusually for a UK zoo, is located in a residential/urban area- so maybe the local residents are justified in asking for a reduction in numbers.
Noisy neighbours and some moreporks to keep them awake at night ! On certain weather conditions the calls can be heard a kilometer away !
Twycross Orang Utan's on the move: It has been confirmed that female bornean Orang Utan 'Theodora and her almost three year old infant Tamu will be transferred to Paris zoo next week on 27th November in an effort to aleviate some of the overcrowding. There are plans to move her first daughter, Satu, to Cologne probably in the new year and Twycross are still waiting for a place for 'Tiga' (Kibriah's son) reducing the current quota by almost 50%. The overcrowding situation has been difficult but I can't help thinking that their solution is a bit drastic.
The Orangutan house is really only suitable to contain a male and two females plus recent babies. If they won't spend the money on an extension or a new house, there's no alternative to what they are doing. I'd say they need to move all of the animals which they are transferring.
I have not heard a peep out of 'our' Peacock since July, when he fell silent as usual. (He's still around though as I've seen him.) But as soon as February/March arrives, he will start calling again- with increasing frequency...
Sorry to jump back a bit, just a comment, when your moving into an area nearby a zoo, you SHOULD KNOW that there will be noise regardless!
