After Roaming Lake Of The Ozarks For A Week, Lost Peacock Takes An Uber Home

A Lake of the Ozarks resident stepped outside to a surprising splash of color over the weekend: a peacock was wandering around on her deck!

peacock on the deck - Facebook photo.jpeg

The woman trapped the bird on her deck, took a few photos, and posted them in a local Facebook group. Within hours, the rogue fowl was on an Uber ride, headed home.

Beth Ann Myers runs Lake Express Concierge Services, shuttling people and items to and fro around the Lake. Her friend Monica, who owns the bird, was at work when she saw the Facebook post and recognized the peacock. She and her husband Kent had recently bought the peacock at the Jacob’s Cave Summer Swap event, to add to their hobby farm where they have 130 chickens, 14 ducks, a goose, and goats.

Kent told LakeExpo he didn’t realize the peafowl’s wings needed to be clipped, so it easily escaped its eight-foot-high enclosure. All Kent and Monica had found was a pile of feathers under their pecan tree, and they assumed their new colorful pet had been attacked and devoured — likely by the same predators that recently killed dozens of their chickens. The peacock was gone, and they hadn’t even named him yet.

Kent had always wanted a peacock since childhood, so a few days later, on Saturday morning, June 22, he bought a new peafowl chick at Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon. Hours later, that afternoon, Monica told him their peacock had been found.

After delivering a carload of customers to a concert at Ozarks Amphitheater, Beth Ann picked up Kent and they retrieved the bird, which was located across the cove from Captain Ron’s Bar and Grill. “He rode home in his owner’s lap, and he was a very good bird on the ride,” she commented.

Kent guesses the peacock may have indeed been attacked after escaping his enclosure, but fled and ended up wandering with a flock of wild turkeys for a few days. He was found not far from his home, only about a half-mile "as-the-peacock-flies."

That’s just speculation. Only the peacock knows what happened during his time AWOL. But Kent says he’s back in his pen now, wings clipped, getting acquainted with the little peafowl chick, whose sex isn’t known yet. Kent hopes it’s a hen, so they could someday have baby peafowl.

But before that, he acknowledges, his disappearing peacock still needs a name, and he’s open to suggestions.

How about Houdini?

Lake Express Concierge Services offers concierge grocery shopping, trips to court and medical appointments, shuttling for people who can’t or aren’t allowed to drive, and even pet-sitting. Contact Beth Ann at 573-480-8291.

Interested in a peacock? Kent bought his from Terri’s Peacocks: 618-530-6825. He added, “Remember to clip their wings!”