Horror as California mailman is accused of beating beloved neighborhood peacock with a ROCK after it followed him
A Californian neighborhood is demanding justice after a shocking video surfaced of a mailman allegedly bludgeoning their beloved peacock with a rock.
The bird, known affectionately as Sugar, was allegedly struck with a rock before being hit again with a club or stick after following the unidentified mailman to his truck.
The disturbing incident came to light when Pasadena schoolteacher Gina Davis became concerned after Sugar was found disoriented and refusing to eat or drink.
Davis and her daughter had watched over the white peacock for years, and Sugar had become something of a cherished neighborhood celebrity.
‘He pretty much is known by the entire neighborhood,’ Davis told the Los Angeles Times. ‘Everyone takes care of him.’
But when Davis checked her home security camera, she said she was horrified with what she discovered.
The footage allegedly reveals the postal worker throwing a rock at Sugar.
Yet instead of fleeing, the peacock followed the mailman towards his vehicle and stood his ground – directly in front of his truck.
The bird stood her ground as she refused to surrender and move from the truck
That was when the encounter became even more violent.
The brazen mailman got out of his truck carrying what appeared to be a club or stick and allegedly struck Sugar again.
‘He got out of his truck and had a club or stick or something and hit it,’ Davis said, describing the blow as landing around the bird’s head or neck.
The footage has since sent shockwaves through the Pasadena neighborhood, where residents say Sugar has long been a familiar and much-loved presence.
Davis’s concerned neighbor called Pasadena Humane, whose staff went to the property backyard to help the injured bird.
Once officials were shown the security footage, they arranged for Sugar to be examined by a veterinarian before taking him to the organization’s Wildlife Center.
There, vets found several minor wounds and areas of swelling. X-rays, however, revealed that the bird had luckily suffered no broken bones.
Kevin McManus, a Pasadena Humane spokesperson, said Sugar’s prognosis was thankfully positive and that he would remain under observation for several more days.
It didn’t seem to deter the mailman as the power struggle continued
Meanwhile, Animal Control has launched an animal cruelty investigation and is seeking additional security footage from nearby homes.
The US Postal Service is conducting its own investigation. The mail carrier seen in the footage has not been publicly identified.
USPS spokesperson Kristina Uppal told the LA Times that postal employees in the area had experienced previous encounters with peacocks and that the service had been working with Pasadena Humane over concerns involving the birds.
‘We take allegations of inappropriate conduct seriously and will take appropriate action, as warranted, consistent with Postal Service policies,’ she said.
As outrage mounts, Davis says her primary concern is not what happens to the mailman – but Sugar’s safety.
‘I don’t want to see him fired,’ Davis admitted to the outlet. ‘But I would like to see him given a different route.’
The footage has been painful for Davis and her family to endure.
‘It’s heartbreaking to watch,’ she said. ‘We are very sad.’
Sugar remains at the Wildlife Center while his condition is monitored, leaving the neighborhood waiting anxiously for news of its beloved feathered friend.
He may eventually be released back onto the streets he has called home for years.
But after the terrifying encounter, Davis says there is one hope above all others: that Sugar has somewhere safe to return to.
‘He may be released back to the neighborhood,’ she said. ‘But at this point we’re hoping he’s got a safe place to live.’
