Randall Oaks Zoo peacock escapes for 90 minutes

A peacock that spent 90 minutes in the subzero weather after escaping from the Randall Oaks Barnyard Zoo Tuesday, is back at the zoo and recovering from frozen feet, an official said.

“It was kind of a freakish accident, and we just hope everything works out,” said Brian Mangiaracina, Randall Oaks’ park and division manager. He also runs the petting zoo.

Blue, a male peacock, was born and raised at the zoo and has called it home for at least five years, Mangiaracina said.

After he was fed and cleaned Tuesday in his heated pen, Blue flew out of the building and on top of a nearby pine tree, Mangiaracina said.

The park district’s staff tried to rescue the bird but efforts were futile, so they called the West Dundee Fire Department, which sent over a truck with a 100 foot ladder, Fire Chief Randy Friese said.

The department took Assistant Zoo Manager Kristin Wuestenfeld up in the basket atop the ladder and she plucked the peacock out of the tree — which was easy to do because his feet were frozen to the branch, Friese said. It was about minus-12 degrees at the time of his rescue, officials said.

“The bird’s feet were pretty cold. We more or less warmed the feet, got his legs working again and now he’s under watch in another heated building for quarantine,” Mangiaracina said.

Blue also was to receive antibiotics to prevent fluid from building up in his lungs.