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Lawmakers and Residents Continue to Wrestle with Peacock Problem in Coconut Grove

Michal Kranz/WLRN
A mother peacock in the Bay Heights area of Coconut Grove

Tropical wildlife is a part of the landscape here in South Florida, but what happens when a certain nonnative bird makes a home for itself in a residential neighborhood?

 

 

That is the case in Coconut Grove, where peacocks have become a problem not just for residents but also for county commissioners, who are trying to find ways to relocate the birds without violating local laws.

 

Residents in Coconut Grove and Coral Gables say the peacocks have always been there, but recently their numbers have skyrocketed, leading to their becoming a nuisance.

 

One resident, Randy Lakel, says he does not mind the peacocks. "Grandkids like them; they're pretty," He said. "There's a lot of them."

 

However, people like Maribel Rodriguez do not share his view. "When they open up their mouths you want to kill them," she said.

She’s not alone. J.C. Garrido is an aide to County Commissioner Xavier Suarez. He says he receives numerous calls from constituents complaining about the birds disrupting traffic, digging up lawns and scratching cars.

 

Lorenzo Veloz is a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He says this is because peacocks have made themselves at home in South Florida and are well adapted to an urban, tropical environment.

 

"They're not scared of people," he said. "A lot of people feed them."

Miami-Dade commissioners recently directed the county mayor to look into relocation facilities for some of the peacocks, but that’s not as easy as it sounds. Florida law prohibits their release into the wild, and no facilities currently exist to house them. They are also a protected species in several South Florida counties.

Until the mayor offers a solution, Veloz says there’s little authorities can do. "They're going to be here for a while," he said.

 

Until then, residents in Miami will have to deal with the birds as effectively, and as cautiously, as possible.

 

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