FREDERICK – Willie, a peacock that lived in Lake Linganore for as many as 14 years, was hit by a car and died Thursday evening.
Susan Bowman, a resident who fed Willie every day, said the community is devastated.
“He was a constant,” she said. “Even when we had that huge snow, he emerged perfectly fine.”
Bowman said people would come from all over Frederick County to see the animal, a testament to his friendliness.
Willie was hit by a resident of the community who wishes to remain anonymous, said Jordyn Dowd, communications specialist for the Lake Linganore Association.
She said the resident was devastated and called the homeowners association emergency line right after the accident.
The peacock died immediately and nothing could be done, she said.
The homeowners association buried him in common land off Eaglehead Drive, between North Shore Way and Whistling Swan Way. Fresh flowers serve as a temporary memorial.
“He was nobody’s pet, so he was everybody’s pet,” she said. “He was a misplaced traveler that became a fixture in the neighborhood.”
She said Willie was so beloved that homeowners had talked about getting him a female.
Now that he’s gone, she expects the Audubon neighborhood where he lived to commemorate him with a plaque or bench.
“No peacock will be left behind,” she said.
It is unclear how the peacock ended up in Lake Linganore.
Bowman said when he showed up, he had an ankle bracelet that indicated he was probably from a local farm. Community members contacted the Humane Society as well as Frederick County Animal Control, which sent bulletins about the animal.
No one claimed Willie and so the neighborhood took him in, Bowman said.
“I was probably his biggest fan,” she said.
