Zwerfpauw attacks cars because he wants to expel his mirror image: « Extremely difficult animals to catch, they can take off like a helicopter » (Ranst)
The male paws have been hanging around in the Knodbaan for eight months and in the Lindberg in Oelegem. Nobody knows exactly who he is or where he comes from. He would also have been in Venusstraat before. « He usually sleeps in the shed of a house diagonally opposite ours that will be broken down, » says Birgitt Stoops.
« Sometimes he is already calling at five in the morning, » says neighbor Willy. Everyone in the Knodbaan, on the ‘Schildese’ side of the track, has already seen De Pauw sitting on his roof or on his carport in his backyard.
Bart to his damaged car. « Sometimes I am shocked when he suddenly stands in front of the front door and opens his tail. » – © KMA
For Bart Vermeersch and Birgitt there is now an extra concern. « I had thoroughly cleaned and optimized my car. I suddenly noticed that there were all small dents and scratches on it. Our doorbell had filmed how the peacock attacked my car with his legs. First I thought he wanted to jump on the roof; he sometimes tries. But now it was really crushing everywhere.
On the sight it is not so clear, but if you go over the bodywork with your hand, you will indeed feel small pits everywhere in the lacquer layer, some even quite deep. « I really can’t laugh with this, » says Bart. « That will seriously cost me some money. I have filed a complaint with the police, hopefully the owner of De Pauw will take his responsibility. »
De Pauw attacks the car to respond to his mirror image, which he regards as a competitor. – © RR
Who can be that owner is unknown. Presumably the animal flew out of its run at the end of last year or was dumped in the underlying forest. « Sometimes I’m shocked, » says Bart. « Then I go to our front door because I hear something and suddenly stands in front of me. He is just as hard of mine and then puts his tail completely open. Clean, that is, but actually this has to be solved. We don’t dare to brush anymore. I don’t know anything about peacocks, but apparently he is getting accumulated because it is a competitive. »
Helicopter
Bart and Birgitt, but also other neighbors, already called several authorities to come and catch the peacock, but they catch bone everywhere. « Indeed, we have also thanked, » says Henri Vandenbossche of Socio vzw from Deurne. « Because we know from experience that catching peacocks is extremely difficult. The problem is that peacocks can take off straight up, such as a helicopter. Every time you think you can catch them, they fly away. So it is not a matter of walking around with a safety net, because that doesn’t work out. »
If you rub your hand over it, you immediately feel it: there are small pits in the bodywork. – © KMA
According to Vandenbossche, the best solution is that one of the neighbors tries to lure De Pauw with a track of corn in a garden house or shed. « Take it easy, it can take a few days before the animal dares to go in there. And then immediately close the door and put it in a box, with double cords around it, because those animals are very strong. »
« If he is imprisoned, we would like to take care of De Pauw until a permanent accommodation has been found for it. But actually stray animals are a municipal authority in public territory. If that Pauw causes an accident, the municipality is liable if this problem is known, » says Vandenbossche.
Swine
Ships for Animal Welfare Christel Engelen (Ons Ranst) did not yet know the problem. « But I will certainly take action to see how we can work on a solution. What is that in Ranst? Last week those wild boar in the Muizenbos, and now a peacock? At my work we are currently the same for, but with two oystercatchers who get completely excited from their mirror image in the glass front door and then always drop poop there.”
The VOC Kapellen only catches wild animals, no domesticated. The Opglabbeek Nature Aid Center sometimes takes on neck-breaking tours in TV series to catch hanging belly and other animals. « But a peacock is indeed very difficult, » says Dries Damiaens of the Limburg center.
« Birds are currently very territorial. You see that not only with big birds, but even with Meesjes. They see their mirror image in a window – or in this case in bodywork of a car – and want to chase that competitor. So the problem is really that peacocks can take off like a helicopter and you always get too late in collaboration with paws »
De Pauw has been taking his plan in the Knodbaan for eight months. – © KMA
Rarely chip of ring
According to Damiaens, peacocks are rarely chipped or even ringed. « This is a pet of someone who damages other people’s ownership elsewhere. At the moment of the damage you always see the same: suddenly he is no one anymore. That is a pity. Cats have the status that they can walk around freely everywhere, but I have the impression that owners of peacocks sometimes think. If your animal escapes, you are not going to get the first to get from Limburg. » We are coming from Limburg. «
This is not the Knodbaan-Pauw, but it could be him, because according to the neighbors it is also a beautiful specimen. – © AP
During our visit to the Knodbaan, De Pauw, baptized by some ‘Bart’, was not to be seen anywhere. We hear him call from the forest. « That is sometimes from five o’clock in the morning! », Willy repeats. « I think we should look for corn with a sleeping aid. » All in all, Bart finds it pathetic for the beast. « That shout: that is probably his call for a female paw that he will not find here. »
