HOUSTON — Houston is home to some wild animal news. We've had gators on the highway and cows on the freeway.
There are apparently peacocks as well. We went to the experts to get to the bottom of this Houston legend.
The extravagant blue peacock with its illustrious bright feathers and sand-like display are quite the sight. Native to India, many people who are new to Houston would never expect to see them here.
It turns out they've been staking their claim around town for decades.
"Yeah, this is this climate of this area is actually really close to their natural area," SPCA Wildlife Manager Brooke Yahney said. "So our temperatures is close to what they would get in the wild."
Their exact origin in Texas isn't clear, but rumor has it a family owned some peacocks in Houston and when they left, the birds stayed. Depending on who you ask, the animals have been around for 30 to 50 years
We're told Friendship Garden in the Heights is a popular roosting spot for peacocks. We didn't see any the day we were there, but you need to know what to do if you ever do see one in person.
"If it's healthy and happy, the best thing to do is just leave it there," Yahney said. "Honestly, a lot of times when people are trying to relocate these birds, they can do more harm than good that way."
In fact, the Houston SPCA is currently caring for a peacock that was brought in after being found near Hobby Airport.
"So this bird came in very, very emaciated, very thin, and we've been able to kind of get him back on track and he is about to be adopted, actually," Yahney said.
You can spot peacocks all over the Houston area. Several residents in the Heights have even shared photos of their sightings on the Nextdoor app.
"There were people who really want them around there," Yahney said. "They think it's like a cultural or a neighborhood boon to have these things like, oh, I'm going to live in that peacock neighborhood. So they definitely thrive here in this urban environment."
After decades of enjoying the southern weather, these beautiful birds are now a part of Houston history and it appears they're here to stay.