FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A woman is speaking out after surveillance video captured a man snatching a trio of baby peacocks outside of her brother’s home.
Speaking to 7News on Tuesday, Vicki Smith said the animal abduction occurred last Thursday on Southwest 13th Court in Fort Lauderdale’s Shady Banks neighborhood.
“It makes you sick to your stomach because they’re clearly, this person is preying on these tiny defenseless creatures. They don’t have any defenses,” she said.
Video, shared with 7News, shows a man approaching the animals in a pickup truck. He gets out of the truck while holding what looks like some sort of bait. He then snatches three of the peachicks while leaving the mother behind.
“Once he takes the babies, the mother just loses her mind,” said Smith. “You can see the distress the mother is in. She’s moving really fast, she is just running in circles.”
The woman said the family of peacocks often visits her brother’s home and believes the babies were targeted because one of them is a rare white color, which allows them to be sold for hundreds of dollars.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Smith.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, permits are required for various wildlife removal activities, however, the issue is complex and varies from county to county and city by city.
Smith now hopes that by sharing the video, she’ll be able to identify the man seen snatching the peachicks and get to the bottom of his intentions.
“Even the people who don’t care for the peacocks are not OK with this. This is super not cool,” said Smith.
Fort Lauderdale Police said they would reach out to Smith to obtain more information on the incident before opening an investigation.
Officers urge anyone with information on the man or the vehicle involved to give them a call.
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