Peafowl no longer freely roam Utah’s Hogle Zoo after one of the birds was accused of attacking four children over a two-day period last year, according to a recently filed lawsuit.
The family of a 2-year-old filed the lawsuit in 3rd District Court on March 7, alleging that a peacock attacked the toddler during a visit on April 30, 2021. The same bird attacked another child later that day, as well as two children the day prior, the complaint states.
In an email, zoo spokesperson Marilyn Hsiung acknowledged the alleged attack on the toddler, describing it as an “incident involving one of our free roaming peacocks and one of our young guests.” She did not comment on the other alleged attacks.
“Shortly after the incident involving the young guest, Utah’s Hogle Zoo Animal Care Team and Safety Staff swiftly responded and proceeded to successfully capture and relocate all free-roaming peafowl,” Hsiung said in an emailed statement. “Currently, there are no free-roaming peafowl on zoo grounds.”
Male peafowl are called peacocks; females are referred to as peahens. Peafowl is used to describe a mixed group of peacocks and peahens.
The zoo’s peafowl were all re-homed, Hsiung said. She did not respond when asked to specify when the free-roaming birds were removed, where they were re-homed, if they are expected to return or if any remain on display in exhibits. As of Wednesday, the zoo’s website still stated that the animals roam freely.
“In order to protect the integrity of the process, the Zoo will address the allegations of the complaint through the legal process,” Hsiung said in her statement. “The safety of our guests, staff, and animals in our care is paramount.”
‘Dangerous bird’
Matthew O’Connor, an attorney representing the toddler’s family, declined to answer additional questions about the complaint, which alleges that the 2-year-old sustained “pain and suffering, emotional distress, scarring, (and) disfigurement” as a result of the reported attack.
According to court documents, the bird pounced on the girl after her family exited a monkey exhibit. The girl’s mother pulled her out of a stroller to walk with her siblings when the peacock allegedly flew in front of her and scratched the child’s face and back, causing her to fall down.
The family said zoo staff told them a peacock attacked another child later that day, as well as two children the day prior, according to the complaint. At least one of those children required medical care, the lawsuit alleges.
The complaint states that the same bird was responsible for each attack and accuses the zoo of negligence. The family also claims the zoo is liable for the attacks because staff didn’t “subdue or sequester the dangerous bird.”
Hogle Zoo began with a cage of monkeys in Liberty Park in 1911. Next came a deer. In 1912, the Salt Lake Parks Department officially started the zoo with a $153 investment, adding 16 more animals, including a pair of blue peafowl.
Such birds have roamed freely at Hogle Zoo for years. Social media posts show they were beloved by some guests, and photos of peafowl were used by zoo staff more than once to entice visitors.
Removing peafowl an apparent trend
If the birds are gone for good, the Hogle Zoo would be following a trend that the Washington Post reported in 2015.
At the time, zoos in Cincinnati, Portland, Louisville and St. Louis had either gotten rid of their birds completely or reduced their numbers, The Post reported. In Louisville, zoo staff re-homed the birds because great horned owls were eating them. Elsewhere, the birds were breeding too quickly.
The Denver Zoo got rid of their free roaming peafowl in 2020 after “several incidents that resulted in minor injuries to guests,” Denver’s 9NEWS reported.
In a 2013 Youtube video, Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard compared their free-roaming peacocks to cats and dogs. He said the birds are food-driven and stay close to home so they get fed. They are the biggest species of pheasant in the world, he said, making them first cousins to chickens.
“But being a male — that’s a first cousin of a rooster, meaning they can be aggressive,” Maynard said. “So if you’re at the zoo, don’t run up and try to pluck a feather out of these guys. They can be very tough. They’re perfectly safe at a distance though. And one of the most beautiful animals in the world.”
The Hogle Zoo had not filed a formal response to the complaint as of Wednesday afternoon. There are currently no court dates scheduled in the case.
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