Feral peacocks causing trouble in NT town

ABC NEWS (Australia)

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.

Transcript

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]

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