FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A Fort Lauderdale neighborhood is heartbroken after a beautiful bird that roamed the area didn’t survive a vicious attack.
Maria Guerrero told 7News the peacock, which was affectionately named Prosciutto, would always find his way back around her home along Southwest Sixth Court.
She said she’s normally nervous around birds, especially peacocks. But Prosciutto found a way to change her mind.
“I am terrified of birds, large birds, so it was not a wanted relationship but he was very friendly and very persistent,” said Guerrero.
From sleeping in a tree in her backyard to looking for food every afternoon at precisely 5 p.m., he became a consistent part of her home life.
“I couldn’t come out here without him following me around. He would dance for me and show me his feathers,” said Guerrero.
A cellphone video Guerrero took of the lovely pheasant showed him spreading those feathers in a majestic display one afternoon.
At some point in June, Guerrero stopped hearing Prosciutto knocking on her window for several days.
After a concerningly long absence, he finally returned in desperate need of help.
“He showed up about two weeks ago emaciated, injured,” said Guerrero.
Guerrero rushed the peacock to a veterinary’s office, where x-rays found the bird had been shot by an airsoft gun.
“He had a BB [pellet] embedded in his neck and another air gun pellet in his thigh, and they had fused in his muscle,” said Guerrero.
She said Prosciutto’s injuries weren’t limited to just being shot at. He also appeared to have been physically attacked.
“He had a massive infection from severe trauma to the head and the neck, and it was because somebody attacked him and beat him up,” said Guerrero.
The severity of his injuries even left the bird blind in his right eye.
“He couldn’t see the food in front of him; that’s why he was starving,” said Guerrero.
Guerrero did everything she could to try to help the beaten bird but his health declined drastically on Sunday.
She attempted to rush him back to an animal hospital but he died on the emergency trip.
“It was horrifying. To fight so hard to save him, but also to know that this happened,” said Guerrero.
She said there’s no excuse for anybody to have carried out this cruel act on a defenseless creature.
“I know that peacocks are loud but to hurt one like that is just abhorrent,” said Guerrero.
Guerrero hopes that by sharing this story more people would develop more empathy toward peacocks.
If you would like to assist Guerrero in covering for the expenses that went into attempting to save Prosciutto, you can donate here.
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