Young peacock seriously injured after being struck by car in Tampa Bay area: FHP
Video above: Incredibly rare white peacock spotted in New Port Richey
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A seriously injured peacock was rescued Sunday just a few days after an incredibly rare white peacock was spotted in the Tampa Bay area.
A passerby found the young majestic bird with “serious injuries” after it was struck by a car, the Florida Highway Patrol in Tampa shared on social media.
The peacock was later given to bird rescue personnel, where it will most likely undergo rehabilitation. Troopers did not specify on what road the bird was struck.
The discovery of the young peacock follows the sighting of a rare white peacock in New Port Richey. News Channel 8 producer Sally Durwald snapped a photo of the beautiful bird in her backyard.
According to Treehugger, white peacocks are incredibly rare as “their feathers are white due to a genetic mutation known as leucism, which inhibits melanin from being deposited in their feathers.”
In Florida, peacocks are classified as a domestic species in the Sunshine State, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission states.
The birds have become established across the state “by escaping from properties or by being released.” They can also “exhibit nuisance behaviors when their numbers multiply or when they are being fed by people,” according to the FWC.
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