Raj Bhavan peacock goes on Mumbai Darshan

This twoyearold peacock was feeling adventurous and in the mood for some fun when it ventured out of its home Raj Bhavan in Malabar Hill on Sunday and went on a tour of south Mumbai hopping from tree to tree house to house and from one vehicle to another in the busy lanes of the island cityThe governorrsquos residence sent a team of rescuers on its trail which lasted a good five daysRakesh Jadhav a Raj Bhavan worker for 30 years and coworker Balaji N were leading the team on the mission to bring the bird back home They were relying on the vast network of amused Mumbaikars who in some way or the other got the peacockrsquos location across to themldquoWe got a message that a peacock had been spotted at Chowpatty and left We watched as it hopped from tree to tree and jumped nimbly from vehicle to vehicle in the Chowpatty trafficrdquo said JadhavThey resumed their search on June 26 on learning that it had been spotted at Charni Road station ldquoWe tried catching it in Kalbadevi and Chira Bazaar areas but it was too fast By the time we climbed four floors of an old building to get to it it had flown to anotherrdquo Balaji saidWith the chase not going too well a meeting was called at Raj Bhavan on June 27 to chart out an avian action plan The duo set out once again with more volunteers Jadhav said the peafowl had rested briefly atop the Taraporevala Aquarium on June 28 and was later seen in the Oval MaidanThe breakthrough came on June 29 ldquowhen we got several calls that a peacock had been seen in Colabardquo said JadhavThe captureThe rescuers saw it resting at Wodehouse Gymkhana in Colaba Abhishek A Thavare a wildlife rescuer who was part of Operation Peacock said ldquoThe peacock flew from the club to a little house just behind A worker threw food as a lure and the peacock came forward to eat it and we caught itrdquoThe dream teamCurrently the peacock is recuperating at an enclosure in the sylvan surroundings of Raj Bhavan while the rescue team is applying balm on their tired legs A doctor will check the bird and then it will be released to join his peafowl platoon of 12 peacocks and more than 20 peahensArun Anandkar comptroller of the governorrsquos house said ldquoFull credit to a superbly coordinated team effort workers volunteers the forest department the policeand everyone else involved in the rescuerdquoThavare added ldquoThe police and citizens are our guiding light Locals were informing us where the peacock wasrdquoUmesh Kashikar the public relations officer of Raj Bhavan said ldquoWe do not put peacocks in enclosures unless injured They roam freerdquoIllustrationsUday Mohite1 A peacock leaves Raj Bhavan to explore the island city on June 25 Rescuers attempt to catch it as it hops from tree to tree and vehicle to vehicle in Chowpatty traffic2 Rescuers set out to Charni Road station on June 26 the birdrsquos next stop It goes around the lanes of Kalbadevi and Chira Bazaar As they climb four floors of a building to catch it the peacock flies away eluding the rescuers once again3 Rescuers volunteers and Raj Bhavan officials sit down to chart out a plan for Operation Peacock4 On June 28 the bird is seen atop Taraporevala Aquarium as well as the Oval Maidan where it showed little appetite for lsquochanarsquo thrown to lure it5 The breakthrough happens on Day 5mdashJune 29mdashwhen the bird is spotted at Wodehouse Gymkhana in Colaba Seemingly hungry peacock gives in to the lure of food thrown its way and flies down to the rescuers who gently hold it and take it back to Raj Bhavan