Forestry Farm peacocks moved for ethical reasons: manager

There are no more roaming peacocks at Saskatoon’s Forestry Farm Park and Zoo.

The animals were a familiar sight at the zoo, but manager Tim Sinclair-Smith said the decision was made based on what happens when the birds aren’t allowed outside.

“People may see them roaming around in the summer, but little do they know they’re locked in cages for up to seven months in the winter,” Sinclair-Smith said.

“Welfare wise, and ethically, we cannot continue to do that.”

Sinclair-Smith told the Brent Loucks show Friday morning the zoo would have to spend $500,000 in order to build a winter facility.

They chose instead to move the birds in the early spring this year to facilities that can accommodate the peacocks, such as zoos in Calgary and Toronto.

“We feel the money could be better spent addressing our endangered species and addressing their habitats that need to be made bigger,” he said.