The Retreat - Gulliver Bookmark

Gulliver came from a farm on the outskirts of Horsham in West Sussex. All of the other peacocks at the farm were found new homes but no one wanted Gulliver as everyone was led to believe that he did not get on with other peacocks.

He was brought to The Retreat Animal Rescue where he now lives and thrives in the company of other peacocks and many other feathery and furry friends. Peacocks, turkeys, chickens, pigeons, ducks and geese all roam freely at the Retreat where all animals are loved and cared for and no animal is discriminated against.

Only males are called Peacocks, females are called Peahens. Peacocks are not born with their fancy feathers, it is hard to tell if a peachick is a male or female but at around 6 months old the males will begin to change colour and at around age 3 they grow their showy trains.

Peacocks fan and shake their tail feathers to attract female attention, their quivering feathers emit and amplify a low frequency sound inaudible to humans. They can change the sound depending on whether they want to attract females from far away or up close by shaking different parts of their feathers. After mating season the peacock will shed his train.

Gulliver will be cared for for many years by the team at The Retreat. The lifespan of a peacock is around 20 years!

To find out more about Gulliver and his friends, volunteer, arrange a visit, or hear about the amazing work Billy and the team do at the retreat, please visit: