They might be one of nature’s most magnificently coloured creations, but feral peacocks are wreaking havoc on a tiny outback town. Hoping to avoid a cull, the council’s found a unique solution with the ‘adopt-a-peacock’ program.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00 Thousands of kilometres from their native South Asian forests,
00:04 these fancy feathered fowls spread their wings in the desert.
00:08 Elliot NT, population 287 people,
00:14 and about 30 feral peacocks and peahens.
00:18 It was a surprise when they first came here.
00:21 The people here, we didn't know, you know, what they were,
00:24 what kind of birds they were.
00:26 It's believed former caravan park owners brought a handful to town in the '90s.
00:31 Now they've multiplied, ruffling feathers with their digging,
00:36 poor toilet training and night-time squawking.
00:39 They're nuisance. (LAUGHS)
00:43 They dig up everything.
00:45 But newcomers can't get enough.
00:47 I wasn't expecting.
00:49 I was expecting some, like, lizards,
00:52 this kind of animals, like kangaroos.
00:56 It's pretty hot in the outback heat on days like today,
00:59 so you'll mostly find them hiding in the shade.
01:02 And they're not that keen on saying hello.
01:04 Oh, no. Come back.
01:10 The council's proud as, well, peacocks, of a potential solution.
01:15 If anybody wants peacocks out there, we can help.
01:18 (LAUGHS)
01:20 Amazing.
01:22 Six birds flagged for adoption to nearby Territory Homes.
01:26 A cull-free solution to a pretty pest problem.
01:30 [BLANK_AUDIO]