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Plumstead is known for a few things; being near Woolwich... uh, that’s it. But not for its wildlife. Now, though, a peacock belonging to a former gangster-turned-actor has escaped and has been running amok in the south London neighbourhood ever since.
David Courtney, 63, was given the bird which has now been dubbed ‘the Plumstead Peacock’ as a gift from a breeder who also (curiously) specialises in llamas. The rogue bird usually is kept in a roofless 12-foot-high-fenced enclosure. But Dave was shocked when the peacock flew out of its pen, admitting ‘I didn’t know they could fly.’
Peacocks can (sort of) fly, they tend to run and take several small leaps before a big final hop. They can’t stay airborne for very long... which is why the Plumstead bird has stayed local.
Neighbours have complained of the cock waking them up at 4am with his mating call, swooping from the top of people’s roofs, cars, andhiding in gardens and up trees.
The ex-gangster told the Standard: ‘I know I’ll probably sound like a bit of a dickhead but I didn’t know they could fly. I thought it was like a chicken or something.’
‘I had him in [the enclosure] for about five minutes and then he flew off. I thought: You bastard.’
Apparently, the feathery bastard is becoming quite well-loved by the locals. ‘He gets bigger and bigger every time I see him,’ said Dave. ‘Some people don’t want me to catch him: it brightens up the place.’
He added: ‘He was stunning but it seems like he would rather live 20 doors up. He keeps jumping from garden to garden dodging all the foxes. All my neighbours are feeding him and he seems quite happy at the moment.’
ICYMI: Drake has bought a house in Hackney, apparently.
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