One evening in February, Morris noticed that one of the peacocks had been hit by an arrow. It came out of the bird’s body.
“I was shocked,” said Morris, 68, who walked over to take a photo.
The bird was limping and appeared to be in pain, he said.
Although many local residents welcome the peacocks’ presence, Morris said, “There are people in the neighborhood who don’t like it.” The birds are mostly harmless, but they can be noisy and often leave droppings, he said.
The birds are commonly called peacocks, although the females are technically peacocks and both are peacocks.
He was worried that someone would go so far as to harm one of the large iridescent birds. It is a crime in California to intentionally torture, harm or kill an animal.
“It was devastating,” Morris said.
Dana Schrader, the administrator of Morris’ long-term care home, shared Morris’ photo on Facebook. People in the community were outraged and local media covered the story.
“It was heartbreaking to say the least,” Schrader said, adding that they decided to name the impaled bird “Cupid.”
The neighbors couldn’t stand to see the bird in pain, so they started by calling various animal services, as well as the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.
Donny Block, who has lived in the neighborhood for eight years, said animal control and fish and wildlife officials came.
The peacocks, he said, were a selling point when he and his wife, Robyn, bought their home.
“We absolutely love them,” Block, 45, said. “There’s nothing better than waking up in the morning, drinking coffee and enjoying a yard full of peacocks.”
“We go shopping for them,” Block said, adding that they often give the peacocks bread, birdseed, cereal and blueberries — the birds’ favorites.
“It upsets me to think that they are not wanted and that someone would go so far as to harm them,” he said.
Volunteers from Critter Creek Wildlife Station – a non-profit organization in Fresno County, California – quickly came to help capture Cupid. They said such incidents are not unusual.
“It’s too common,” said Andy Jewett, who has volunteered at the Critter Creek Wildlife Station for 21 years. “I get birds that are shot all the time.”
As volunteers and officials focused on capturing Cupid, Morris offered a $200 reward on social media, hoping to find the person who shot him.
“We thought maybe someone could give us some information,” Morris said.
After a few days, Cupid was still at large.
“They did everything they could, but the bird was already very nervous,” Block said.
The neighbors were increasingly worried about Cupid.
Block said he saw other birds trying to remove the arrow. “It was terribly sad to see,” he said.
“We started attracting more and more people to see if they could help us, showing real concern,” he continued. “It was just a dark cloud for a few days because we couldn’t help him.”
When several strategies for capturing Cupid failed – including using a net gun – Block set up a makeshift trap in his front yard.
He brought out a small cage and filled it with treats, including watermelon, blueberries and live mealworms. He tied a long rope to the opening of the cage and hung it in his home.
Block planned to stay on guard and pull the string every time the peacock entered the cage. A few days later, on March 8, Cupid took the bait and found himself trapped.
“I called Andy, and they came right away and took him to surgery,” Block said.
First, Jewett took Cupid to the county Animal Services Center for an X-ray, then volunteers drove the bird to San Joaquin Veterinary Hospital for surgery to remove the arrow — which had damaged the under his skin and the surface of the chest muscles. The operation, covered by Critter Creek Wildlife Station, cost $550.
“This arrow was embedded virtually the entire length of its body,” Jewett said, noting that the arrow passed between the bird’s legs and protruded past the upper left side of its chest. Although it damaged some muscles, the arrow remained directly under the skin and did not penetrate any internal organs. Doctors also confirmed that Cupid is a male less than a year old.
The arrow shaft, Jewett said, is made of premium carbon fiber “designed for deep penetration.” The tip of the arrow, he explained, “is blunt and has four prongs, and it is not intended to penetrate deeply.”
“The combination is horrible at best,” Jewett said, adding that the sheriff’s office has the arrow and is investigating.
Cupid has been in the care of Critter Creek Wildlife Station volunteer Joan Cuadra since his surgery. He is in a large cage in her garden, and she feeds him, treats his wounds and gives him antibiotics twice a day.
“He’s doing great,” Cuadra, 73, said. “Cupid is very nice.”
Maureen Lee Dutra, a volunteer veterinarian at the Critter Creek Wildlife Station, checks on him regularly. She said she was impressed by the dedication of her fellow volunteers.
“The community as a whole is very fortunate that there are volunteers willing to care for these animals,” Lee Dutra said. “It’s an incredible service, and it doesn’t often get a lot of attention. We need more people to realize the need not only for financial support, but also for time support.
Residents were invested in Cupid’s recovery.
“We were saying our little prayers for him,” Block said. “When I saw the extent of the injury, it was a miracle that he was alive.”
After a few days of recovery, Cupid will be released by March 28 in the same area where he was found. Neighbors plan to be there to celebrate his safe return to the wild.
“He is doing very well right now,” Lee Dutra said, adding that the bird is expected to lead a normal life after recovery.
Although the $200 reward paid to Morris never led to the identity of the shooter being determined, neighbors hope that whoever is responsible will be deterred from committing another act, depending on the community’s response.
“We’re all watching now,” Block said.
He and his neighbors can’t wait to finally free Cupid.
“Releasing him is going to be amazing,” Block said. “It’s such a relief.”
