Escaped Peacock Has A Night On the Town

Following in the flight path of Flaco the owl, a peacock escaped from the Bronx Zoo this week and spent the night hanging out in the city, then (unlike Flaco) returned to its confines the following day. As the New York Times reported, rather ominously, “the Fire Department did not confirm reports it had bitten someone.”

The bird, nicknamed Raul for some reason, flew the coop on Wednesday and spent the night and Thursday morning perched in a cottonwood tree in Vidalia Park, just a couple blocks from the zoo. Television crews and social media live streams were on hand to record the escapee. Raul flew from building to building, but eventually made it back to the zoo on his own. Watch Raul soar here.

Peafowl roam freely on the Bronx Zoo grounds, but escapes are rare. In May 2011, a peahen took off and was quickly rescued and returned (after a brief star turn on social media).  Later that year a peacock bolted from the Central Park Zoo.

As for Flaco the owl, he continues to live his best life in Central Park, free as a bird.

Photo credit: Dakota Santiago / New York Times