Not shaking his tail feathers now: Noisy peacock who spent six months 'on the run' in bid to find a mate is finally caught by rescuers... who coaxed him with peahen noises
A noisy peacock who went 'on the run' for six months roaming a village, hopping on houses and fences, in a romantic bid to find a mate has finally been caught after rescuers coaxed him with peahen sounds.
The people of Gravesend, Kent had grown fond of the bird they named Saataj and had been feeding and caring for him.
But they called volunteers from Dartford Animal Rescue after becoming concerned when breeding season hit and Saataj started 'making loud noises' in an effort to find himself a girlfriend.
Rescuers used his pining to their advantage and coaxed him off a roof by playing peahen noises, leading him into a car park, where they were able to grab him and put him in an Ikea carrier bag.
A noisy peacock who went 'on the run' for six months roaming a village, hopping on houses and fences, in a romantic bid to find a mate has finally been caught after rescuers coaxed him with peahen sounds
He has now been moved to The Retreat Animal Rescue Farm Sanctuary in Ashford with other peacocks and peahens to find the partner he was looking for.
There is a cafe at the sanctuary and the residents who looked after him will be able to go and visit him.
Ciara O'Hare, who runs the rescue organisation, said: 'The peacock had been roaming around the area for six months to a year and had been crossing a main road to sleep in a tree at night.
'He'd been chilling between three gardens and the neighbours had all become quite attached.
'They fed him and gave him the name Saataj.
'But now that it's coming into breeding season he started to scream and make a really loud call because he was looking for a mate.
'So the neighbours became quite concerned.'
Rosie O'Hare and Ciara O'Hare (top) and Melissa Doris (bottom) from Dartford Animal Rescue with Saataj the peacock in an Ikea bag
Dartford Animal Rescue, which has been operating for around three years, had never caught a peacock before but is experienced at catching other birds like chickens and geese.
Ciara, 25, attended the rescue with her sister and volunteer Rosie O'Hare, 23, and animal rescuer Melissa Doris.
Ciara said: 'Rosie is very good at these kinds of rescues, she's fantastic at catching birds and she's got years of experience.'
She added: 'It was completely stress-free for him.
'We managed to get him into a wrap and popped him into an IKEA bag. We then brought him back to the rescue centre.'
Rosie said: 'I'm very happy for our little guy, knowing he's going to have a group of friends and hopefully get himself the girlfriend he desperately wants.'
