Philadelphia – 4 Peacocks Escape Zoo, Stroll Down Highway, Slow Down Traffic

Who would have thought that peacocks would be capable of slowing down traffic?

But four peacocks that escaped the Philadelphia Zoo were spotted Wednesday evening doing just that on the Schuylkill Expressway.

The birds were strutting leisurely along I-76 westbound near the Girard Avenue exit around 8:30 p.m. Two lanes on I-76 needed to be closed as police drove near the peacocks. Traffic then was backed up for miles as police escorted the four birds down the highway.

SkyForce10 also helped “monitor the situation” as they were above the scene as the birds approached Roosevelt Boulevard. =y"></script>

The police were able to form a barricade around the peacocks. But then the four birds flew away into nearby trees, with one of them flying across the highway.

State police said they stopped their efforts to capture the fugitive peacocks since they were off the road and the two lanes were reopened already.

Where the police have given up, the Philadelphia Zoo is continuing to exert efforts to find and bring back the “rebel” peacocks.

Philadelphia Zoo spokeswoman Dana Lombardo said it’s not unusual for the peacocks to stray from the zoo but they usually return in the evening to sleep for the night. Since they have not returned, the zoo staff have been searching for them, only resting through the night on Wednesday for safety’s sake.

The search resumed on Thursday. Lombardo said the search team “circled the area where the peacocks were last seen and checked locations where these animal teams believed the peacocks might explore. “

The peacocks have not been found yet and it might take days, if not weeks, for them to be found.

Source:

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/I-76-Westbound-Peacocks-Philadelphia-Girard-Avenue-Roosevelt-Boulevard-484116231.html