USPS, Pasadena Humane Investigate Mail Carrier's Attack on 1 White Peacock

Q: As Sugar the peacock recovers, will he be banished to a sanctuary or return to the streets where he was brutally attacked?

There is no confirmed decision yet on whether Sugar will be relocated or returned to the neighborhood. What is clear is that Sugar is recovering in the care of Pasadena Humane. The shelter has said he was examined by veterinarians, is up and walking, and has no reported life-threatening injuries. His prognosis appears good, which means both outcomes remain possible. The reporting suggests residents are divided between hope and caution. Several neighbors want Sugar back on Mohawk Street, calling him a beloved fixture of the area. But at least one resident said she doubts Pasadena Humane would simply release him back into the same neighborhood and speculated he might instead be placed in a sanctuary or possibly returned to a safer peafowl area such as the nearby Arboretum. For now, Pasadena Humane has only confirmed treatment and an active investigation into the alleged attack. No public statement has indicated that Sugar has been permanently removed, assigned to a sanctuary, or cleared for release back to the streets. So the best answer is that Sugar’s immediate future remains undecided. If his recovery continues and officials judge the neighborhood safe, he could return. If they determine the area poses too much risk or that he needs longer-term protection, relocation to a sanctuary or another managed setting is a realistic possibility.

3 articles · Updated · The Pasadena Star-News · Aug 20

Around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday on Mohawk Street in East Pasadena, a mail carrier was filmed allegedly throwing an object at a white peacock and then striking it again near a mail truck, leaving the bird unable to get up.
Pasadena Humane collected the peacock, known locally as Sugar, and said a veterinarian planned X-rays; the bird was more mobile by Wednesday morning and its prognosis appeared encouraging.
USPS said it is gathering facts and reviewing the employee's conduct, adding that carriers in the area have had previous encounters with peacocks and had already been working with Pasadena Humane on related concerns.
California law can treat intentionally harming a peacock as a felony, and the case lands amid long-running Los Angeles County disputes over peafowl, including a 2021 public-feeding ban and other local management efforts.