Peacocks shot, poisoned in Cape Canaveral

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., April 24 (UPI) -- At least 10 peacocks in a Cape Canaveral, Fla., neighborhood have been killed during the past three weeks, residents say.

Residents in Ocean Woods said the birds were either shot or poisoned and that law enforcement authorities have been notified, WFTV, Orlando, Fla., reported Monday.

"We've got some kind of lunatic in here that is a sniper, and you know is a pretty good shot, and so what's he going to be shooting next," resident Lauren Lulich said.

One resident was offering a $500 reward, WFTV said.

The residents said the deaths coincided with the mating season and the peacocks' unmistakable cry. Nearly all of the dead birds were male.

"You know we all have dogs here and there are cats wondering around, and somebody's poisoning them now, they've been shooting them in broad daylight," resident Gil Livingston told the television station. "I just don't know what's going to happen. People are going crazy in this place."