Pesky peacocks continue to roam Surrey neighbourhood

Peacocks aren’t a problem for some residents of the Surrey neighbourhood where the beautiful but noisy birds have taken up residence.

But the private company called in to look at them is.

Chetan Tamber, a resident of 149A Street, doesn’t mind the birds, a flock of peacocks and peahens known collectively as “peafowl.”

Tamber says that when he and several neighbours were out Tuesday afternoon watching an employee of Pigeon Patrol, the animal-control worker trespassed on his front lawn.

“He came up to us and said, “˜I can do what I want, I am going to capture those peacocks’ – and then he started swearing,” Tamber says.

Tamber also said the man then switched his speech to a derisive East Indian accent.

“The Pigeon Patrol guy needs to apologize to us all for what he did,” said Tamber. “This has gone beyond the peacocks. This has become a personal issue.”

Pigeon Patrol did not respond to a request for an interview, but did send an email reading: “There is no story, we were just dropping off netting to the spca, surrey at this address.

“We have not been contracted by the city or spca, surrey to capture any birds. We did not touch any or [sic] the peacocks or ruffle any feathers.”

Rick Bamford, senior bylaw officer with Surrey, confirmed that the company was not hired by the city. He said Pigeon Patrol was consulted by the city for advice on how to deal with the birds, which weigh six to eight kilograms.

Bamford said animal-control officers were not at the immediate scene when the alleged confrontation took place.

“We’re still in the process of determining what happened,” he said.

While some neighbours like the birds, others object.

“We have a number of complaints from neighbours [who] are saying “˜Enough is enough,’” said Bamford.

In addition to roosting and defecating on roofs and porches, the birds’ calls can be deafening – particularly as the weather warms up.

Because the birds are being fed, according to Bamford, he’s worried about that attracting pests like rats.

“They can be quite aggressive,” he said of the male birds. “They’re rounding up their harems and they’re extremely protective.”

The birds’ presence in the neighbourhood predates the new subdivisions that have sprung up recently.

They are not native, but it has yet to be determined exactly how they came to live in the area.