A pheasant that managed to escape while it was being moved with its feathered friends from Stonefield Park to Stafford is back behind bars!
Stafford Borough Council moved all the birds to Victoria Park recently so that a new aviary can be built in Stonefield – although the Reeves pheasant obviously saw this as its Great Escape moment and gave council workers the slip.
The pheasant was found near The Filleybrooks at the weekend by Jane Proudman, who put it in with her chickens for safekeeping and appealed through social media for its owner to come forward. Stone PCSO Jenny Ludlow-Smith saw one of Jane’s tweets and contacted the council this afternoon. It emerged that Stafford Borough Council had informed the police after the pheasant managed to escape.
Jane said: “These pheasants are found wild in England but this one was very tame and actually wanted to get in with our chickens and ducks. It wasn’t afraid of people and was not at all frightened by being in a pen. It all makes sense now!”
A Stafford Borough Council spokesman said: “We’d notified the police about the pheasant, which was lost during the move a few days ago, so we are really grateful to Jane for finding it and letting us know.”
Stonefield Park’s birds (including the escapee now) have taken residence in Stafford while their old home is demolished and a bigger one built. The move follows feedback from people in the area where almost everyone who replied to a borough council consultation said they would like to keep an aviary in the park.
The old aviary has been in the park since 1988 and has been home to a range of birds including pheasants, cockatiels, and canaries. The new structure will have 50 per cent more space for the 30-odd birds who call it home and will cost £15,000.
Council bosses hope the new aviary will be ready for the birds to move into early in the New Year. The birds will be kept at the aviary in Victoria Park, Stafford, until their new home is complete.
Rumours that a security guard was now being employed to keep a 24-hour guard on the Reeves pheasant could not be confirmed…
