Two stolen peacocks were recovered and returned to their owners on April 29, 2026 [1], after being found along a highway in Alberta.

The incident highlights a peculiar theft where animals were abandoned while a high-value vehicle remains missing. The recovery of the birds provides relief to the owners, but the ongoing search for the truck indicates a targeted criminal act.

The peacocks, named Pete and Hilda, were stolen overnight from Stony Plain, a town located west of Edmonton [1, 2]. The birds were transported in the back of a truck that was also taken during the theft [1, 3].

Alberta RCMP located the two birds [1] inside a crate along Highway 16 near Duffield [1, 3]. The birds were safely retrieved and returned to their owners following the discovery [2, 3].

Despite the rescue of the animals, the vehicle used in the crime has not been found. Police are searching for a white 2005 Ford F350 [2]. The RCMP said the investigation into the theft of the truck is continuing [1, 4].

Authorities have not disclosed a motive for why the peacocks were taken and subsequently left in a crate by the roadside [1, 4]. The discovery of the birds occurred on the same day the news of the theft was reported [1].

“Two stolen peacocks were recovered and returned to their owners.”

The abandonment of the peacocks suggests that the birds were not the primary target of the theft, but rather incidental cargo. The focus of the investigation now shifts to the recovery of the 2005 Ford F350, as the perpetrators likely prioritized the vehicle over the animals.