The Okanakan Valley is more known for wine and fruit than it is for peacocks but surprisingly, they have nevertheless become a part of the ecosystem.
About 20 years ago someone abandoned some pet peafowl to the forest near the village of Naramata. No one thought that in the long run they would survive, and there were attempts to capture them.
But here they are, years later, fitting in well and doing their peacock thing. They’re Canadian now.
It’s a bit odd seeing them strutting around, but odd can be a very interesting thing. 🙂
I was dismayed to learn later that the reason why the bears seem so comfortable with people is that they are often being fed. And in a national park no less! Heartbreaking. As the saying goes, “a fed bear is a dead bear.” This park is huge (bigger than Switzerland) and there is limited access by vehicle, so park rangers will try to move bears that become too friendly into the back country. Unfortunately, some of them return and are then euthanized. All because human beings can’t stop being idiots.
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