A California hotel said they lost dozens of peacocks in the last week, prompting an investigation by local officials, according to a local outlet.
The Ryder Hotel in Walnut Grove, California, lost 37 peacocks over the past several days, its general manager told KCRA3. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) has since launched an investigation into the matter because hotel staff alleged someone could be stealing the birds.
“As we walked the property, we discovered that after the last three to four days, we’ve lost 37 of our 40 peacocks,” general manager David Nielsen said. “The entire staff is pretty devastated.”
The staff reportedly noticed the birds’ disappearance gradually. Nielsen told the outlet he fears the birds may have been stolen for cockfighting.
“It’s possible that these peacocks are being used for cockfighting, which is horrible. So, we’re hoping we get them back,” he said.
The hotel, which is about 30 miles south of Sacramento, California, has housed peacocks for at least a generation, hotel catering coordinator Rafe Goorwitch told KCRA3.
A new owner bought the hotel 14 years ago and brought a peahen and peafowl to the property, Nielsen told the Los Angeles Times. Several generations of peacocks have lived at the hotel since. The peacocks would often be seen around the hotel either walking through the lobby or sitting in nearby trees, KCRA3 reported. (RELATED: Escaped Water Buffalo Owner Pleads Guilty To Animal At Large Charge)
Employees gave one of the peacocks the name “Alibaba” and often joked that they worked for the bird because he walked around the property like he owned it.
“It was not uncommon for him to walk through the ballroom before a wedding or even the dining room,” Goorwitch told the outlet.
“I know they’re just birds,” Goorwitch told the LA Times, “but Alibaba was really something special.”
“These peacocks, where you’re going into the thousands of dollars per animal, but it is a property crime. These are all felonies. It rises above that threshold. So no, 100%. It’ll be investigated by our Property Crimes Bureau,” SCSO Sgt. Amar Gandhi told KCRA3.
Gandhi told the LA Times that a male peacock is worth about $2,000 whereas a female is worth about $1,000.
“If anyone knows anything regarding our stolen peafowl..please contact the Ryde Hotel or the Walnut Grove Station of the Sacramento Co [Sheriff],” the hotel wrote in a Facebook post Monday.
Nielsen told the outlet that one of the four peacocks still on the property has some missing tail feathers, reportedly suggesting that someone may have tried to take the bird. The hotel has added additional cameras around the hotel for the birds’ protection.
“This area is known as the heart of the Delta and when this first happened it was a little shocking,” Goorwitch said. “It was a stab in the heart.”