WHITEHOUSE, Texas — They say birds of a feather flock together.
But, this peacock has decided to do his own thing!
"It was late July of 2018, it was just a couple of weeks after my father had passed away, and I had been in Arkansas and just as I got home a day or so later, I looked at the front window, and there was a peacock standing in the front yard," says homeowner, John Moore.
Moore tried to find a home for the exotic bird, but realized "Fred," as he calls him now, wasn't going anywhere.
"We don't own Fred, Fred owns us," said Moore, "Fred showed up and claimed the place and he's just nice enough to let us stay."
Over the last year, Moore and Fred have created a unique bond.
"Fred comes down pretty much on time every morning around 8 a.m.," said Moore. "And if I see him come down, I will come out the front door and I'll say, 'Good Morning Fred, are you ready to eat your breakfast?'"
Moore says Fred enjoys cat food and strawberries, but grapes are his favorite!
Fred has already made his way onto the computer screen, gaining attraction on social media.
"Fred asked for his own Facebook page," said Moore, "He also asked for his own YouTube channel. But I told him one thing at a time."
Moore says he doesn't think Fred's arrival was a coincidence.
"Sometimes things happen in life and you're not really prepared to deal with them, we certainly weren't prepared to raise a peacock," said Moore. "But whether it's a person or an animal, there's a reason I think that things show up in your life. So embrace it."
Fred's big adventure to East Texas will be featured in a book Moore is writing.
"My guess is once he becomes really, really famous, he'll probably get an agent and then he'll move off to Hollywood and we won't see him again," said Moore "But in the meantime, we'll just keep feeding him grapes."
To follow Fred the Peacock on Facebook, click here!