Posted on: Tuesday, August 3, 2004

Apology follows peacock culling

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer

The director of the Waimea Valley Audubon Center yesterday apologized for the killing of park peacocks by archers last week, a move to control the population of birds that had become a nuisance to people and plants in the park.

Diana King said the park will look for better ways to manage the peacock population. "It was a tragic mistake and it won't be repeated," King told The Advertiser. King said she is calling and e-mailing people who complained to the Audubon Society.

Some area residents continued to express concern about the killings, reported in Saturday's Advertiser.

Pupukea resident Tracy Cabot said she saw far fewer of the brightly colored birds yesterday in her usual walk through the park. She noticed only about six peacocks, compared to the "dozens" she said she normally sees along the way.

Cabot, who buys annual passes to the park and walks there most weekday mornings, said she was outraged by news that some of the birds had been shot with arrows because they were a nuisance.

King said a park employee and two archers killed nine of the birds last week because they had become a nuisance by pecking at children, destroying native plants and leaving feces in the dining area.

King said dozens of peafowl remain in the park and the move was needed to control their population. Animal-rights activists and some residents have expressed concern about the manner of killing the birds, most of which are fed by park employees.

King said they had considered relocating the problem birds but "we have been asked not to export the problem to other areas."

Animal Rights Hawai'i president Cathy Goeggel said she was shocked that the Audubon Society would choose to hunt down the birds.

Last year, residents of Makaha Valley complained about a flock of peacocks that had become a nuisance to that community. The residents had considered hiring someone to kill half the flock but changed their minds.

The proposal to kill the Makaha birds prompted people and organizations from across the state and as far away as Texas to offer sanctuary to some of the peacocks.

Hawaiian Humane Society spokeswoman Jacque Smith said the society encourages people to look for alternatives to killing in managing the birds' population.

"It's really unfortunate that such beautiful animals are being destroyed. If they must be destroyed, we hope that their slaughter was humane," Smith said.

Cabot said the Audubon Society has brought some good changes to the park but made a mistake with the peacocks.

"It was insensitive to the community," she said. "It's barbaric; it's like killing people's pets."

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.