‘A stab in the heart.’ Beloved peacocks reported stolen from historic California hotel
International news
The Ryde Hotel’s staffers are desperately missing their favorite occupants — the gorgeous peacocks known to fawn about on the orchard-lined banks of the Sacramento River and mischievously wander through the hotel’s banquet hall.
A guest reported seeing two men shoving a peacock into a cage and loading it into a pickup truck Saturday, hotel manager David Nielsen said.
A head count on Sunday yielded an alarming discovery: Of the several dozen peacocks that make up the local flock, only four could be found on the hotel grounds.
“It’s unique in the sense that we’ve never had a peacock caper,” Sgt. Amar Gandhi told The Times. “It is being investigated by our property crimes bureau and it is a felony based on the dollar amount.”
Gandhi said that the estimated value of a male peacock — known for its fabulous, iridescent tail feathers — is $2,000, while a female peacock is valued at about $1,000.
By Clara Harter