KEW GARDENS HILLS — A wayward peacock has been exploring northern Queens for the past two weeks, evading police and thrilling residents.
The peacock, which residents say first appeared near Main Street and Jewel Avenue in Kew Gardens Hills about two weeks ago, has been spotted on rooftops and backyards in the neighborhood.
On Tuesday, the New York Post reported that the bird escaped two NYPD officers after they cornered it in a backyard in Flushing, flying up to a rooftop to avoid capture. The bird was last seen heading toward Queens College.
Police told DNAinfo.com Wednesday that they were still unaware of the bird's whereabouts.
No one is exactly sure where the journeying bird came from. It was thought to have escaped from the Queens Zoo, but spokesperson Barbara Russo told DNAinfo.com that the zoo has all of their peacocks.
"We are unaware of any missing peafowl," Russo said Tuesday.
The Post reports that the bird might be the property of John Bowne High School in Kew Gardens Hills. The high school has an agricultural program and owns several animals, and a custodian told the Post that the school's peacocks have flown the coop in the past.
While the bird has been well-photographed by residents, it's been camera-shy for the media. DNAInfo.com tried to spot the peacock Tuesday but was unsuccessful, as were reporters from the New York Times.
This isn't the first time a loose peacock has ruffled feathers in New York City. Last year, a peacock that escaped from the Central Park Zoo grabbed headlines when it perched on a ritzy Upper East Side apartment. It eventually flew home.
