By CASSANDRA SHOFAR Staff Writer

MONTVILLE TWP. — When Holly Bunsey sat down to relax and sip on a margarita, she didn’t expect to hear her sons fly into the house yelling, “Mom, there’s a peacock in the backyard.”

Lounging around at 7 p.m. Sunday with a mystery novel in hand, Bunsey, of 5377 Rustic Hills Drive West, was told by her sons, Stuart, 12, and Miles, 14, that a peacock was strutting in their backyard, which is surrounded by deep ravines.

“I said, ‘Of course there is,’ because I seem to attract (different animals),” Bunsey said with a chuckle. She’s come across a ferret, hummingbirds, a crow, several cats and a rabbit in the past couple years, either keeping or finding homes for them each time.

“I’m a magnet for them, I swear to God,” she added with a laugh. “The next thing, I swear, is going to be a python.”

So, barefoot and up to her elbows and knees in mud, Bunsey and a neighbor set out to catch the vividly painted peacock, worried he may fall prey to a coyote or hawk in the area.

Holly Bunsey sits on a couch in her living room Monday morning with a peacock she rescued from her backyard. Bunsey’s sons spotted the peacock Sunday evening and told her about it. She and a neighbor were able to throw a sheet on the bird and capture it. (Shirley Ware | Photo Editor)

Finally, Bunsey was able to get close enough to grab him and throw a sheet over him, not only to protect herself but to also keep the peacock calm, she said.

“I’m just like that, I love animals. Someone has to take care of them,” Bunsey said, holding the exotic and majestic-looking bird in her lap as she retold the story Monday afternoon. “We had a parade of people last night, everyone stopped, saying, ‘Oh my God, it’s a peacock.’ ”

Neighbor Rick Vanek and his wife, Phyllis, were driving down Ridgewood Road Sunday afternoon when they spotted the peacock on the side of the road and called the Montville Police Department to report it.

Four hours later, Vanek said his wife spotted the undeniable striking blue feathers of the peacock in their backyard.

He said that’s when he saw Bunsey trying to catch him in the ravines.

“And by golly she captured it and put the sheet over it and picked it up,” he said, laughing. “I’ve seen ’em in the zoo sometimes, but I didn’t realize how big they are. I figured it belonged to somebody around the neighborhood and somehow got lost. So anyway, it was nice to see that it was rescued.”

Vanek called police again, and they tried to find a rescue group to take the peacock, but had no luck, he said.

Finally, Parrot Hope Sanctuary was contacted and Donna Hollo, the owner of the nonprofit organization in Medina, agreed to take the peacock temporarily until either its owner is found or another home is arranged.

“This bird sounds like it’s pretty friendly,” Hollo said. “I think it’s somebody’s pet and if somebody’s looking for it, we’ll be glad to return him.”

She added: “They’re beautiful birds, but they make very loud peacock noises. So, we’ll give him a very good shelter until we get him somewhere.”

In the meantime, Bunsey kept the bird — whom she affectionately named both “Prince,” saying he looked like royalty, and “Mo,” because his vibrant head feathers resembled a mohawk — in her large laundry room and fed him whatever she could muster: birdseed, cat food, anything to tide him over until Hollo arrived Monday afternoon, she said.

“He’s perfectly happy and gorgeous and just sitting in there looking like a peacock,” she said earlier Monday. “He’s beautiful, just beautiful.”

Anyone who has information on the peacock or is interested in sheltering him can contact Parrot Hope at 330-421-0106.

Shofar may be reached at 330-721-4044 or cshofar@ohio.net.