Stop the relocation of the Sahuaro Ranch peacocks

Recent signers:
William O'Neil and 19 others have signed recently.

The Issue

The Glendale City Council is moving forward with plans to disrupt, separate, and relocate the family of peacocks at Sahuaro Ranch Park.  

Sahuaro Ranch Park, with its beautiful peacocks roaming freely, is not just a local attraction; it is a cornerstone of our community's identity. Visitors and locals alike have marveled at the splendor of these unique birds for decades. They have become a symbol of the area and a beloved aspect of our daily lives. The recent decision to relocate these creatures is both heartbreaking and unnecessary.

 

 

 

male peacock with showing his feathers at Sahuaro Ranch Park

 

 

These peacocks are part of our ecosystem and have coexisted peacefully with the residents and park-goers for generations. Removing them could disrupt this balance and take away the charm that defines Sahuaro Ranch Park. The idea that these majestic creatures, who contribute to the biodiversity and charm of the park, are to be removed from their natural habitat is unjust and inexplicable.

Then to know some of them will be relocated to a lab in Texas is even more troubling. A quick google search produces multiple cruelty charges at their facility. One of their campus veterinarians lost her license after she shocked a sick horse fresh out of surgery 1,000 times. The horse was shocked in her face, eyes, vulva and other parts of her broken body. The university attempted to cover up her abuse, but multiple students in the stalls at the time came forward. She was ultimately fired and lost her license to practice veterinary medicine. This is just ONE example of the abuse that has happened and continues to happen at their facility. They are currently handling a lawsuit about the abuse in their beagle research program. A judge has issued an temporary order to cease testing until it can be further investigated. 

While it is important to address concerns about park maintenance and the welfare of both the peacocks and visitors, relocating the peacocks is not the solution. Instead, the city could block off the affected skylights, institute a neutering program, the use of "dummy eggs", and allowing companies who volunteer to come out and power wash the sidewalks (saving the city money). 

Dwindling the flock down to just 33 will leave them weak to predation. When a flock of birds has lived together in certain numbers for their whole lives, they create a system within the flock for protection. When you wipe those numbers out, the flock does NOT know how to protect itself in such small numbers. Considering the amount of predatory animals in the area, this could very well lead to the complete eradication of the remaining birds.

Moreover, splitting up the flock will very likely cause the collapse of the hierarchy within the flock. When this happens it looks like:

  • Heightened aggression and territorialism 

 

  • Stress and disorientation (peafowl have a close social structure. Being suddenly separated can cause them to become distressed and disoriented)

 

  • Self harming behaviors (feather plucking, self mutilation and appetite loss)

 

  • Flight and dispersal (they may fly away and wander from their new area looking for their original flock, this speaks to how connected the flock is)

 

  • The rebound effect (the flock will produce MORE chicks to compensate for its perceived loss. This signals the city has done little to no research on the long term effects of this "relocation") 

The city claims there are multiple complaints about the droppings from the peacocks by various residents. As of 8/26, citizens have started an effort to clean up the mess in the front and back entries of the library.

 

 

 

Male Peacock hanging out with people at Sahuaro Ranch Park

 

It has been confirmed the "count" the city did was done by an individual walking the park and counting the birds. These birds have acres to roam, without banding them as you count, there is no way to know if you have counted the same bird multiple times.

However, 8/28 I went out in the evening with a flashlight to where they roost at 8pm (so everyone was tucked away for the night) and counted 74 peacocks. 

Join us in urging city officials to reconsider this decision and look for alternatives that will protect and preserve the peacocks' habitat while ensuring public enjoyment and safety. Please sign this petition to help keep Sahuaro Ranch's peacocks at their rightful home.

We have created a Facebook page for everyone to to stay updated with our efforts! Please join us! 

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18GsKC6pCq/?mibextid=wwXIfr

FB group name is : Sahuaro Ranch Peacock Preservation 

 

avatar of the starter
Stacy DamitioPetition Starter
Media inquiries

4,739

Recent signers:
William O'Neil and 19 others have signed recently.

The Issue

The Glendale City Council is moving forward with plans to disrupt, separate, and relocate the family of peacocks at Sahuaro Ranch Park.  

Sahuaro Ranch Park, with its beautiful peacocks roaming freely, is not just a local attraction; it is a cornerstone of our community's identity. Visitors and locals alike have marveled at the splendor of these unique birds for decades. They have become a symbol of the area and a beloved aspect of our daily lives. The recent decision to relocate these creatures is both heartbreaking and unnecessary.

 

 

 

male peacock with showing his feathers at Sahuaro Ranch Park

 

 

These peacocks are part of our ecosystem and have coexisted peacefully with the residents and park-goers for generations. Removing them could disrupt this balance and take away the charm that defines Sahuaro Ranch Park. The idea that these majestic creatures, who contribute to the biodiversity and charm of the park, are to be removed from their natural habitat is unjust and inexplicable.

Then to know some of them will be relocated to a lab in Texas is even more troubling. A quick google search produces multiple cruelty charges at their facility. One of their campus veterinarians lost her license after she shocked a sick horse fresh out of surgery 1,000 times. The horse was shocked in her face, eyes, vulva and other parts of her broken body. The university attempted to cover up her abuse, but multiple students in the stalls at the time came forward. She was ultimately fired and lost her license to practice veterinary medicine. This is just ONE example of the abuse that has happened and continues to happen at their facility. They are currently handling a lawsuit about the abuse in their beagle research program. A judge has issued an temporary order to cease testing until it can be further investigated. 

While it is important to address concerns about park maintenance and the welfare of both the peacocks and visitors, relocating the peacocks is not the solution. Instead, the city could block off the affected skylights, institute a neutering program, the use of "dummy eggs", and allowing companies who volunteer to come out and power wash the sidewalks (saving the city money). 

Dwindling the flock down to just 33 will leave them weak to predation. When a flock of birds has lived together in certain numbers for their whole lives, they create a system within the flock for protection. When you wipe those numbers out, the flock does NOT know how to protect itself in such small numbers. Considering the amount of predatory animals in the area, this could very well lead to the complete eradication of the remaining birds.

Moreover, splitting up the flock will very likely cause the collapse of the hierarchy within the flock. When this happens it looks like:

  • Heightened aggression and territorialism 

 

  • Stress and disorientation (peafowl have a close social structure. Being suddenly separated can cause them to become distressed and disoriented)

 

  • Self harming behaviors (feather plucking, self mutilation and appetite loss)

 

  • Flight and dispersal (they may fly away and wander from their new area looking for their original flock, this speaks to how connected the flock is)

 

  • The rebound effect (the flock will produce MORE chicks to compensate for its perceived loss. This signals the city has done little to no research on the long term effects of this "relocation") 

The city claims there are multiple complaints about the droppings from the peacocks by various residents. As of 8/26, citizens have started an effort to clean up the mess in the front and back entries of the library.

 

 

 

Male Peacock hanging out with people at Sahuaro Ranch Park

 

It has been confirmed the "count" the city did was done by an individual walking the park and counting the birds. These birds have acres to roam, without banding them as you count, there is no way to know if you have counted the same bird multiple times.

However, 8/28 I went out in the evening with a flashlight to where they roost at 8pm (so everyone was tucked away for the night) and counted 74 peacocks. 

Join us in urging city officials to reconsider this decision and look for alternatives that will protect and preserve the peacocks' habitat while ensuring public enjoyment and safety. Please sign this petition to help keep Sahuaro Ranch's peacocks at their rightful home.

We have created a Facebook page for everyone to to stay updated with our efforts! Please join us! 

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18GsKC6pCq/?mibextid=wwXIfr

FB group name is : Sahuaro Ranch Peacock Preservation 

 

avatar of the starter
Stacy DamitioPetition Starter
Media inquiries
Support now

4,739

The Decision Makers

Glendale City Council
2 Members
2 Responded
Ray Malnar
Ray Malnar
Glendale City Council - Sahuaro District
“I am aware of the concerns regarding the relocation of some, but not all, of the peacock population in and around Sahuaro Ranch Park. The peafowl population is expected to nearly double to 300 members by 2026 compared to the 2024 census. The flocks have now outgrown their original habitat of the Sahuaro Ranch Park and are encroaching on the surrounding neighborhoods. According to Gemini AI, a flock typically consists of 1 male and 5 or more females and are very territorial. The males are very aggressive and chase and fight other males. These other males tend to leave that area in order to establish their own flock in an adjacent territory. The January 2025 population of 160 peafowl could therefore consist of 25 or more flocks. Once Sahuaro Ranch Park reached its capacity of flocks based on this territorial view, the rest of the peafowl had to migrated beyond the boundaries of the park. This is the main problem the city must address. Peacocks have become a significant nuisance outside of the park area due to their loud calls, and their destructive habits. They damage property by scratching cars, tearing up gardens and leaving droppings on sidewalks and roofs. They have also damaged solar panels. Recently, the population outside of Sahuaro Ranch Park has required significant expenses to repair damaged property and keep areas sanitary. Recently City Council provided consensus to move forward with a plan to reduce the peafowl population by a very humane capture and relocation plan. Many organizations have come forward and have asked to adopt many of the birds. There will remain in the Sahuaro Ranch Park several peafowl flocks for the public to enjoy. It is acknowledged that the relocation plan may disrupt some of the flocks and the city parks department will put into place practices that will ease the disruption and ensure the flocks resettle. The City also has plans to put in place contracts with local veterinary services to ensure flocks are healthy, continue to thrive within the park and their populations do not exceed the park’s capacity in the future.”
Bart Turner
Bart Turner
Glendale City Council - Barrel District
“I agree that the peafowl are an important amenity in the history of Sahuaro Ranch Park since they were brought to the area in 1937 and we ARE keeping a flock of peacocks and peahens in the Park. Unfortunately, our much beloved but often frustrating peafowl population in and around the Park have outgrown their habitat and have migrated into the surrounding neighborhoods and the grounds of the main library. There are roughly 137 peafowl as of spring of 2025—a population that could reach 300 by next year due to minimal natural predators, and as such is unsustainable. It cost the city a grand total of $122,000 last year to maintain this flock including $24k in parking lot cleanup, $55k to clean and repair the skylights at the library, and a host of other costs, frustrations, and manpower hours. They are also causing damage to cars, homes, gardens, and solar panels and the issue needs to be addressed. The staff has devised a workable plan to reduce the population of 30-40, far more appropriate for the habitat, by working with Raptor Events, to safely and humanely trap a majority of the peafowl for relocation to public and private partners. In fact, Texas A&M University will be adopting over 40 birds for their Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology to be used in the curriculum classes focusing on issues related to conserving, managing, and restoring species, habitats, and ecosystems. And lastly, staff will be looking into a catch-neuter-return partnership with a local vet to manage the peafowl population in the future. I trust that this will be a far better plan than to do nothing to preserve an amenity we hold so dear.  Councilman Bart Turner Barrel District, City of Glendale”
Jerry Weiers
Jerry Weiers
Glendale City Mayor

Supporter Voices

Petition updates
Share this petition
Petition created on August 25, 2025