Peacock goes on rampage inside liquor store

ARCADIA, Calif. (CBS) Employees at a liquor store in Southern California received quite the surprise when a peacock wandered in and wouldn’t leave.

CBS Los Angeles reports the bird flapped around the store, trying to find a way out. At one point, it flew right towards the manager, Rani Ghanem.

“It flew towards me,” Ghanem said. “I didn’t know they could actually fly high, but it flew up above the counter and it landed here on top of the ice cream freezer.”

Ghanem tried to help the peacock find the door, but instead, the bird perched itself on top of the wine shelves, knocking bottles over. The store owner recorded the incident on his cell phone.

“This was really out of my comfort zone,” Ghanem said. “I was kind of scared. I didn’t know what to do.”

It wasn’t long before animal control officers arrived to the store. They used a net to guide the peacock down from the top of the shelves, but it didn’t come down without a fight. The rescue was a success and the bird was eventually transported to safety.

But Ghanem was left to clean up the mess — about $500 worth of wine and champagne.

Peacocks are a protected species. Even feeding them comes with a big fine, up to $1,000 and six months of jail time.