PALM BAY, Fla. – Palm Bay police say someone apparently shot and killed at least one peacock in a neighborhood late Wednesday but the incident does not appear to warrant a criminal investigation.
The incident happened in the 2300 block of Fallon Boulevard where a dead peacock was found, according to News 6 partner Florida Today.
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Palm Bay police reviewed the incident.
“Witnesses were not able to identify who shot the bird. There were no calls for shots fired or anything like that,” said Lt. Jeff Spears, of the Palm Bay Police Department.
“And, unfortunately, those birds are not a protected species, per Florida Fish and Wildlife. Nothing should ever rise to the level of killing a bird. But for now, it does not rise to a criminal (case),” Spears said.
He said a necropsy would not be conducted on the bird.
The colorful birds, who have loud, mournful cries, are frequently at the center of complaints in some neighborhoods where they brood across the Space Coast.
But other residents admire them for their bold colors. There is a Facebook page dedicated to peacocks living in Brevard called, “Peacocks of Palm Bay.”
By Thursday, there were several comments about the incident on the page, along with video and photos.
Anyone with information about the bird’s death is asked to call Palm Bay police at 321-952-3456.
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