Dunfermline's beloved citizens; the peacocks of the Glen

Thankfully our feathered friends are in good hands and after they were granted the freedom of Dunfermline, Press reporter Alexandra Baff went behind the scenes with the kind-hearted volunteers who give up their own time to look after the beautiful birds. 

Peacocks are most commonly found in Asia but they have been a familiar sight in Pittencrieff Park - and further afield, as they do like to roam - since Henry Beveridge introduced the our most famous residents to the city in 1905 after a trip to India.

However, eight years ago their numbers had dwindled and just two remained, Malcolm and Louise.

Lead warden Suzi Ross and her husband, treasurer Iain, stepped in to take over the running of the aviary - if they didn't the birds would very likely have been rehomed.

The number of volunteers has grown to around 30 and their efforts have been so successful that the aviary is now home to 16 peacocks and peahens, ranging in age from three months to five years old.

The aviary is home to 16 birds. (Image: Alexandra Baff)

Carlyn Cane, who began helping out three and a half years ago, said that her favourite thing about volunteering is the "family community that we’ve got".

She continued: "There are nearly 30 volunteers, we do have ups and downs, but 95 per cent of the time we are a family.

“We are all very, very close, and we’re generally really good at helping each other out if there’s anything going on.”

There is a senior lead team. Suzi deals with outside agencies and the council, while Carlyn deals with social media, the media and the rota, while Elizabeth and Norman Lees do a lot of the secretarial work.

The volunteers all help out with caring and feeding the peacocks as well as cleaning out their home, and some of those who assist have assistance needs themselves. There are even school pupils volunteering as part of their Duke of Edinburgh awards.

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Each peacock has their own unique personality. Carlyn commented: “So Louis is quite timid now, but whenever we’ve got to catch him for any reason, I don’t even need a net, he’s so used to being caught, he’s quiet, he just likes peace.

"Katie, his partner, is the total opposite.

“She’s really feisty, she takes no nonsense off anybody and she rules the roost. Scout and Skylar, they’re quite close as well and they like being with mum and dad, and then the other babies, Dexter and Harris, are like Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee.

“They’re usually always together. You come in with a packet of crisps and they come running because they can hear the rustling of the packet.

"But they’ve all got their own personalities and they’re all so different sometimes. They can either be really, really intelligent or really dumb!”

As previously reported in the Press, Louis was badly hurt in the horrendous attack on the aviary in May 2022. Malcolm was killed in the same attack and the outpouring of grief and anger was widespread. More than £16,000 was raised for the peacocks in the aftermath and there is now a memorial to Malcolm.

Understandably, Louis does not roam the park freely now, but he’s Carlyn’s favourite.

“Everybody knows my baby is Louis. I think he’s got a special place in the hearts of everybody in Dunfermline, for the trauma that he went through, and everybody just loves that he’s doing really well and just hopefully expecting some more babies off him this year,” she added.

Louis is a dad-of-two, Skout and Skylar. Skout is actually the first ever pied peacock - he has unpigmented white spots and splotches - to be born in the park.

Skylar has a more serious issue, a detached retina in his right eye. This means he has no depth of perception and sees double. As a result of this, he will need lifelong care and will not be allowed out in the park as this wouldn’t be safe.

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The volunteers are planning to add mats to the back wall and put in roosting steps for him. If the modifications don’t help there is the option to remove Skylar’s bad eye as he might be able to compensate better with his one good eye.

THE attack on Louis and Malcolm was abhorrent but it's not uncommon for the birds to be in danger.

There have long been reports of off-lead dogs chasing the peacocks in the Glen - Xander the peacock died in September 2021 in such an incident - despite signs around the park asking owners to keep their pets under control. 

It's sparked debate over whether more stringent measures are needed to protect our 'assets' - after all they do have the freedom of the city. 

Carlyn added: “Unfortunately, it is a bit of an ongoing issue. However, it’s a very small minority of people who don’t control their dogs, the majority do. 

"Dogs off leads isn’t actually an issue, it’s more people not controlling their dogs. 

"If somebody knows that their dog can walk past a peacock and not bother it, then the peacocks won’t bother, it’s when out of control dogs go running around that the birds will get a fright, and they will just panic. And that’s when accidents happen.”

Another pressing issue is that the peafowl are cared for by a registered community group under the name Peacocks in Pittencrieff Park.

This means that the group is not a charity, and as a result they are reliant on donations from the public.

The aviary needs a lot of improvements and they are working with the council to try and find solutions.  There is currently no heating in the building and there have been issues with flooding during periods of heavy rain.

Recently, a young boy from Kirkcaldy did some fundraising for the peacocks. Harrison Richards (12) raised £600 and even had one of the peachicks named after him.

The volunteers hope to use the money to buy equipment for a medical room they are planning to create.

Harrison raised £600. (Image: Peacocks of Pittencrieff Park)

There’s no immediate timeline for the medical room, but the volunteers hope to have it done at some point this year.

“We do have quite a lot of medical equipment and supplies to help us if we have an injured or unwell bird.

"But having somewhere to specifically take them is much more beneficial for the birds as well, because besides from Louis, the rest of them are not used to being caught, so it can be really quite stressful for them,” Carlyn explained.

IT had always been assumed that the peacocks already had the freedom of Dunfermline but it turned out there was noting in writing to say so. 

Almost as soon as she started looking after the birds, almost eight years ago now, Suzi has been on a quest for the birds to be officially recognised as our finest citizens. 

She recalled: "Everyone kept saying the birds have got the freedom of Dunfermline but I wasn't sure and so we spent hours and hours in the library going through all these council papers.

"We're ecstatic that they'll get freedom of the city as the birds are iconic to Dunfermline and this gives them their rightful recognition."

In proposing the motion which led to the peacocks being awarded the freedom of Dunfermline back in December, Cllr Derek Glen said:  "We saw the outpouring of sentiment - both anger and charity - after the attack on two of the peacocks in May 2022.

"And the huge sum of money raised in response to the attack on Malcolm and Louis. This shows us is their value to the people of Dunfermline.

"Suzi Ross and the Peacocks Of Pittencrieff Park group have done a sterling job through some very trying times to keep the peacocks safe and well."

He had added: "It's really useful for us to make this award to the peacocks in recognition both of what the public already believes to be the case; but to make the first award of this civic honour to a group nobody will have any objections to celebrating."

Fife Council have still to announce if there'll be a ceremony and how they'll mark the accolade. 

Next year will mark 120 years since peafowl first roamed in Pittencrieff Park and hopefully the plans that the volunteers have for the aviary will keep them roaming the Glen for many more.