HAMILTON TOWNSHIP -- Why did a peacock cross the road?
We don't have the answer, but that's exactly what happened in one part of the Poconos when a man from the Snydersville area just happened to be driving by and hit it.
That peacock has been spotted wandering around Snydersville over the past few days.
On Wednesday, he decided to cross the road at just the wrong time.
Steve Fil of Snydersville was on his way to Home Depot in Bartonsville, but when he drove down a road in Hamilton Township, his day took a wild turn thanks to the bird that decided to cross the road.
"I was coming down that road when, all of a sudden, he jumped out in front of me. I felt a thump, so I stopped the truck and got out," Fil recalled.
Fil found the fowl on the road just a little shaken up, but he felt bad for hitting the peacock.
"Picked her up, she started flapping a little bit, so I don't know if she's hurt or not. 'He,' I should say."
That's when Fil called Newswatch 16 and we tried to help.
Fil didn't want to leave his new peacock friend along Pensyl Creek Road where he hit him and didn't know exactly just where this bird came from, so we called around to some animal friends.
The Pocono Wildlife Center couldn't help because the peacock isn't technically a wild animal. We called farms and feed stores with no luck. Finally, the Animal Welfare Society of Monroe County got our phone call.
"This was a first for us. I don't think we've ever taken in a peacock. I was surprised. I wanted to help out," said AWSOM director Rich Homar.
The bird, now named Bubba, has a safe pen with wood chips and water. Volunteers at the shelter near Stroudsburg started researching peacock food, too.
"We went to go pick him up some cracked corn and some other stuff and finding out a little bit about peacocks as we go here."
The hope is that this home is only temporary.
"Obviously there's somebody out there that's looking for him and hopefully we can get the word out."
So if you recognize this bird, give AWSOM a call at 570-421-3647.
If an owner doesn't step forward within the next few days, AWSOM says it has contacted other peacock owners and will send Bubba the peacock to join some of other feathered friends.
