Hotel Staff 'Heartbroken' After Dozens of Peacocks Vanish

Dozens of peacocks and peahens known for wandering the grounds of a historic Art Deco hotel south of Sacramento, California are missing, and the hotel staff said Tuesday they believe the birds were stolen. After a customer at the Ryde Hotel mentioned Sunday seeing two men grabbing one of the birds and putting it inside a cage on the bed of a pickup truck, the staff did a count and realized only four of their exotic birds remained, David Nielsen, the hotel's general manager, said. "We're not sure why anyone would do anything like this, but the staff is absolutely heartbroken," Nielsen said. Authorities are investigating the case as a property crime, the AP reports.

The male birds are valued at $2,000 each and the peahens at $1,000 each, said Sgt. Amar Gandhi, a spokesperson at the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office. The owner purchased five of the birds to wander the grounds 14 years ago. They reproduced "to the point that they became a signature of the hotel," Nielsen said. Staff fed them leftovers of filet mignon, prime rib, and salmon, and over time, the birds became tamer. They got used to people, and the employees began seeing them as pets, even naming some of them. Since the news about the missing birds became public, people have been calling the hotel with tips and possible sightings, including reports of neighbors with new peacock pets, Nielsen said.