HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — They say the chicken crossed the road to get to the other side, but folks in Houston County are asking about why a different bird is wandering about.
Wandering the streets is a peacock, leaving on-lookers surprised, social media delighted — and animal control on the hunt.
Every day at Olympia Gyros in Kathleen, Valeria Chacon puts in orders and hands out food with a smile for every customer who walks in.
"I worked all day yesterday, so I had about six tables in the morning five at night," she said.
Chacon calls that a slow day, possibly caused by the special guest customers told her was waiting for service outside.
"I was like, 'Are you guys eating here or to go?', and they were like 'We're eating here, but did you guys know you have a peacock in your parking lot?' and I was like "wait what?' and they were like 'Yea, a peacock,'" she said.
According to a post on Facebook, the bird did get its meal. It was spotted eating a fry in the parking lot.
Chacon says it's not the first time the bird has been spotted around.
"My boyfriend told me a few days ago that he saw one around his house," she said.
Facebook has been following his movement for a while. They've even named the wandering bird Earl, and made him his own Facebook page.
They call him "the elusive peacock of Middle Georgia," but over the last several weeks, people say he's been in Warner Robins, Kathleen, and even parts of Perry.
"This is the first time I've ever seen a peacock out in the streets like that," Warner Robins Animal Control Officer Holden Trichen said.
He has tried to catch Earl three times. The first time, he said the bird left the scene before he arrived. The second time, he says it ran into the woods and he was unable to catch it.
"We got a call about it being on someone's roof all night. When I got there in the morning it was over on Exeter Way in the road. As I chased it, it flew up on someone's fence then flew up on someone's roof and laughed at me. It literally, the noise they make, it sounds like a laugh," Trichen shared.
In some parts of Houston County people own peacocks. Trichen says people that live within the city limits of Warner Robins are prohibited from owning these birds.
"As far as I know we haven't received any calls for the peacock, like anyone missing their peacock," he shared.
Trichen says since the birds are fast and can fly it has been hard to catch. He says they will likely need more officers to respond on the next call to properly catch it.
He hopes they can catch the bird and return it to it's owner soon. They still encourage you to call your local animal control if you spot the bird.