A Killinghall woman has contacted the RSPCA as part of the attempt to solve the mystery of the village’s missing peacocks.

A muster of peacocks has roamed the village for years but there are fears about 10 have been killed.

The number of peacocks rose sharply in the last couple of years, prompting some residents to say they were sick of the noise and calling for action.

Just two peahens remain, prompting fears somebody has taken matters into their own hands.

Sarah Leanne Hughes said it was possible the birds had been re-homed by the animal charity, which re-homed Peter the Peacock from Bilton. She added:

“I have spoken to three different people at the RSPCA. I’m just asking for advice to see if they have been reported.”

“All I want to know is where the birds have gone. It’s the not knowing that’s awful. People are starting to point fingers. Somebody’s name has been mentioned a couple of times but it’s not a witch hunt.”

Ms Hughes set up the Killinghall Peacocks Facebook page two years ago to celebrate the peacocks, which used to visit her garden regularly.

She moved to Killinghall from Bilton and whereas sightings of Peter were rare, she saw the Killinghall birds regularly. Her home, on Cautley Drive, is close to the tree where the animals roost.

Peacocks roosting in Killinghall last summer.

Ms Hughes said the number of page members had doubled recently amid concern for the peacocks’ welfare. She said:

“It’s causing a lot of upset in the village. Somebody knows something and they should do the decent thing and say what has happened.”

Ms Hughes has asked Killinghall Parish Council to discuss the peacocks at tonight’s monthly meeting.

The Stray Ferret has asked the parish council if the matter will be raised and whether it plans to take any further action to investigate the plight of the birds.

Sue Reid, the clerk, said the peacocks were not on the agenda for the monthly meeting at 7pm but the annual parish meeting, which followed at 8pm, was an open forum that gave residents the opportunity to raise any subject they liked.

There are fears that about 10 peacocks have been secretly killed in Killinghall.

A muster of peacocks has roamed the village for years. But the number exploded last year to as many as 16, upsetting some residents with their loud screeching and damage to gardens.

There were calls for the peacocks to be rehomed — but it seems someone may have taken matters into their own hands.

Killinghall Parish Council said in a statement on social media yesterday it was “made aware that there are concerns regarding our resident peacocks”.

It added:

“There have been sightings of only four of the birds and people are speculating as to what has become of the rest.

“If action was taken to remove any of the peacocks, the parish council is unaware of this and certainly had no involvement.”

Parish council unfairly blamed

Last year, after receiving complaints about peacock anti-social behaviour, the parish council had suggested working with residents to address the problem.

It floated the idea of rehoming and even looked into the possibility of neutering — an idea that was dropped as impractical.

Read more:

• Some Kilinghall peacocks could be re-homed
• Councillor fails in bid to rehome Peter the Peacock on his farm

The parish council said yesterday it hadn’t received any further communication from residents since last year.

Nevertheless, its attempts to respond to concerns.have led to some unfair speculation on social media that it was responsible for the missing birds — something it has been keen to clarify that it wasn’t.

Speculation is now rife about the fate of the peacocks, with some suspecting a disgruntled villager may be responsible.

There are also fears for the safety of the remaining birds, which tend to roost in a large tree in the new development at the back of Cautley Drive.

Some residents in nearby Bilton were upset last year when its resident peacock, Peter, was rehomed by the RSPCA animal charity after concerns for his welfare. He is believed to be in Lancashire.