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Video: Cops Try (And Fail) To Capture Escaped Peacock In Queens
By
Ben Yakas
Published Aug 22, 2012
Modified Aug 22, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Aug 22, 2012
Modified Aug 22, 2012
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For the past week, an escaped peacock has been roaming the wild hills of Queens to the delight and shock of residents. The peacock, which escaped from nearby John Bowne HS’s agricultural program, has done a surprisingly good job of avoiding cameras—ABC's Tim Fleischer spent hours tracking it just to get a glimpse—but the Post was on hand as the NYPD Emergency Service Unit attempted to trap the bird around 3 p.m. Tuesday in a backyard on 70th Avenue in Flushing. Things didn't go so swell though.
After the tarp trap failed ("the quick-witted bird did a 180, furiously flapped its wings and flew to a nearby roof"), they tried to use a garbage can to get the peacock...which also didn't work. Neighbors found the scene hilarious: “Cops of a feather flock together,” said Yaakov Abramovitz. “All these cops and a bird, why? Was he a spy bird with US secrets?”
For the NY Times, who also got in on the peacock fun, it brought to mind memories of wandering peacocks of yore, including the beautiful Morning Side Heights peacock, the peacock that escaped from the Central Park Zoo, and the one that escaped from the Bronx Zoo. Despite talking to neighborhood children and Con Ed workers who spotted the creature, the Times found this bird to be quite elusive: "A reporter and photographer for The New York Times similarly spent several hours on Monday unsuccessfully searching for the stray bird."
Tagged
bird
cops
flushing
John Bowne High school
nypd
peacock
queens
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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