The perpetrators are said to have gone to work on Saturday evening: around 8:30 p.m. they are said to have violently torn out around 150 upper tail coverts from the train of a peacock kept in an outdoor enclosure near a family home in Peterskirchen in the Ried im Innkreis district.
“We found him in the long grass in pain. He is completely missing all eye feathers,” the owners said in a Facebook post. They assume that at least two people must have been involved in the crime. Paul-Franz-Xaver, as the peacock is called, doesn’t just let himself be caught and wouldn’t put up with such an agonizing act defenseless.
“Deeply sad and angry at the same time”
“We are deeply saddened and angry at the same time. Our peacock roams freely on our property, it is a beautiful pet that no one should inflict this unimaginable pain on,” said the family, who offered a €50 reward for information.
The perpetrators took the feathers with them, probably in order to sell them and thereby illegally enrich themselves, the police suspect. On the Internet, peacock feathers are offered on various platforms for up to five euros each. Anyone who can provide relevant information about the situation is asked to contact the Ried im Innkreis police on 059133/4240.
Source: Nachrichten
