Strangers rescue peacock from peril on Victoria street
After living in his downtown Victoria neighbourhood for more than 30 years, David Ferguson says this was a first.
"It’s like seeing a goldfish in a school of black fish," Ferguson says, pointing to where he noticed the peacock wandering along the busy street. "It’s like, what is this doing here?"
Meanwhile, Kirk Van Ludwig was working outside his Autonomous Furniture store when he noticed what seemed like the setup for a joke.
"Why did the peacock cross the road?" Van Ludwigsmiles.
At the same time, Logan Jacobsen was hanging Christmas lights before he started capturing the bold bird on camera.
"There’s a peacock running down the street!" Jacobsen laughs.
But the sense of surreal fun quickly turned to very real fear for the peacock’s safety.
"It was getting tumbled about by the big wheels of the truck," Ferguson says.
"Like any moment it was going to get smoked," Van Ludwig recalls with a wince.
"I didn’t want to see roadkill," Jacobsen says.
That’s when Jacobsen announced he was going to pluck the peacock from his potential peril.
"I said to him, 'Watch your face!'" Ferguson recalls. "I though that bird’s going to poke his eyes out or something."
What Ferguson and Van Ludwig didn’t know was that this was not Jacobsen's first rodeo.
"I grew up catching turkeys and chickens," Jacobsen smiles.
When little Jacobsen wasn’t cuddling cute creatures on his family’s hobby farm, he was practising to be a prolific poultry picker-upper.
"I just wanted to save this peacock’s life I suppose," Jacobsen says. "So I grabbed the bird."
"Then we corralled him into the back gated area behind our studio," Van Ludwig adds.
While Jacobsen and Van Ludwig kept the peacock safe behind a fence, Ferguson started making calls.
He was told the bird had likely wandered far from its home in Beacon Hill Park, but there was no official help available.
"I could have walked away. I felt like it," Ferguson recalls. "But it’s that 'do the right thing moment.'"
So Ferguson asked Jacobsen to pick up the peacock from the enclosure and carry him to his car.
"[Ferguson ] suggested we put the peacock in his PT Cruiser," Van Ludwig says.
With the 'P-T' now standing for 'peacock transportation,' Ferguson committed to cruising the bird back home.
He filmed footage of the peacock peering at him in the rear-view mirror.
"I felt like I was in a French movie," Ferguson smiles. "Instead of a femme fatale, it was a peacock in the back seat."
As the duo drove across the downtown core, Ferguson says the bird pooped once and peered out the window often.
The peacock calmed down after they passed the buildings and approached the trees. When Ferguson parked in the park, the bird popped out of the back door.
"I wanted to hug it or commune with it," Ferguson smiles. "But the bird kept going."
Perhaps he was going to tell his feathered flock a joke that begins with a peacock crossing the road and ends with a punchline about a PT Cruiser and the kindness of strangers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.