A homeowner in Surrey, British Columbia, is facing a $1,000 fine for cutting a large tree in front of his house in a desperate attempt to drive away more than 40 feral peacocks that used it for roosting for years.
Parm Brar said that after three years of pleading with municipal authorities to do something about the wailing, pooping birds in his yard, he had no choice but to fell the tree on Monday.
“They pushed me to the edge. I tried everything,” Brar told the Vancouver Sun newspaper.
The neighbourhood of Sullivan Heights in Surrey, a southeastern suburb of Vancouver, is home to about 150 feral peacocks and peahens, that remained in the area even after a farmer who used to breed the colourful birds moved out and the rural property was developed.
A resident has been fined $1,000 and could face up $10,000 in additional fines for cutting down this tree without a permit. The tree was a popular roosting spot for dozens of peacocks every night. (Rafferty Baker/CBC)
Municipal bylaw officers are investigating what happened and Brar could face up to $10,000 in additional fines for cutting down a healthy tree without a permit, said Jas Rehal, Surrey’s manager of public safety.
“We take that un-permitted tree cutting very seriously in this city and we respond accordingly,” Rehal told CBC News.
Rehal said Brar had applied for a tree-cutting permit before, but was denied.
Because the peacocks fall into a legal grey area there is no official recourse for frustrated homeowners, Rehal said.
Brar’s action have divided the neighbourhood with some neighbours criticizing his decision to cut a healthy tree while others supporting him and saying their complaints to municipal authorities about the feral birds who are not native to Canada have fallen on deaf ears for years.
The peacocks are roaming the neighbourhood, perching on trees, fences and rooftops. (Rafferty Baker/CBC)
T.J. Shergall, who lives five houses down from where the tree was cut, told CBC News the peacocks are messing up his property, pooping all over the place, making a terrible racket and destroying his garden.
“We can’t enjoy our backyard. We have to put bird netting to protect our garden,” said Shergall. “It’s hard to deal with it.”
But Cindy Kornik, who lives right across the street from the felled tree, said she was pleasantly surprised to find the peacocks roaming the streets when she moved in six months ago.
“We just love it here. It’s peaceful, the neighbours are great, everyone’s friendly, including the peacocks,” Kornik told CBC News. “[They’re] more than majestic.”
With files from Rafferty Baker, CBC News
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