What to Know
- The peacocks were spotted around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday strutting along I-76 westbound
- Police say they managed to get the birds off the highway, but they were unable to capture them
- One bird has been found dead. Two were rescued, and the search for the fourth continues.
Some good news in the saga of four escaped peacocks from the Philadelphia Zoo: Two of the missing birds were found Friday morning and are now home safe.
The zoo reported that a tipster spotted the birds near the equestrian center in Fairmount Park.
The tipster stayed with the birds until zoo staff arrived to rescue them.
"Both birds appear healthy if a little hungry, have been examined by the veterinary staff, and are currently being housed behind-the-scenes," the zoo said in an email.
Two Peacocks Return to the Zoo
The zoo also said it was moving other young peacocks behind the scenes as well, since peacocks are "more likely to wander" when they are young. And they will review other changes to their free-ranging flock, which has been a longtime delight to zoo visitors.
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Sadly, one of the peacocks had been found dead Thursday afternoon, likely after being hit by a car.
The search is continuing for the fourth peacock, which is young and does not have the bright plumage or long tail that an adult peacock has. Anyone who thinks they have information about that bird should email peacocks@phillyzoo.org.
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The birds created a traffic jam on the Schuylkill Expressway Wednesday evening when they were found strutting along I-76 westbound near the Girard Avenue exit.
State police shut down two of the six lanes of traffic and appeared to escort the four birds down the highway, causing backups for miles.
Police managed to form a barricade around the peacocks and get them off the highway, but were unable to capture them. The four birds then flew away into nearby trees, with one of them managing to fly across the highway.
It's not unusual for some of the Zoo's peacocks to stray, but they normally return in the evening to roost for the night, said Philadelphia Zoo spokeswoman Dana Lombardo.
Zoo officials reminded people not to approach remaining peacock because he is "out of their normal environment and may be nervous."
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After circling the area where the peacocks were last seen and checking locations where the peacocks might explore, the team found one of the peacocks deceased, likely due to an vehicle collision. The remaining three peacocks have not been located. The staff at the Zoo will continue to work with authorities to locate the peacocks and bring them to safety.
