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Sheriff Probes Theft After Nearly 40 Peacocks Disappear from Ryde Hotel

New surveillance cameras track the grounds as deputies chase leads to recover the birds before they enter the illicit wildlife trade.

The exterior of the Ryde Hotel, where dozens of peacocks have gone missing, is seen Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Walnut Grove, Calif. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)
File photo of a peacock.
A peacock roams the grounds at the Ryde Hotel Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Walnut Grove, Calif. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)
A painting of a peacock is seen at the Ryde Hotel, where dozens of the birds have gone missing, Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Walnut Grove, Calif. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

Overview

  • Hotel staff discovered that 37 of the flock’s roughly 40 peacocks vanished over a four-day span earlier this week.
  • Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office opened a felony-level probe after confirming six birds missing and noting each peacock’s value surpasses the state’s theft threshold.
  • Employees fear the birds may have been taken for cockfighting or funneled into the black-market exotic-animal trade.
  • A guest reported seeing two men cage and load a peacock into a pickup truck last Saturday, suggesting a targeted operation.
  • The free-roaming peacocks, valued at $1,000 to $2,000 each, have been part of the Ryde Hotel’s California Delta heritage for over a generation.