Meet Peep, one of Tucson's more unusual family pets - Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) - Summer Cox has several animals on her Picture Rocks ranch, but one in particular tends to stand out among the rest.

His name is Peep and he’s a two year old peacock who apparently likes to go on adventures with the family. Cox say he’s not like other birds, because he’s not startled by loud noises. 

“He likes to ride the quad, he’ll ride in the truck, he follows me everywhere,” said Cox.

She says she grew up around peacocks, but could never hold one until now.

“He’s special because he’s like my best friend. He’s like a dog,” said Cox.

They even eat meals together.

“We start our morning out with a fried egg. He loves fried eggs. They need a lot of protein, so they can’t just live on seed. “ 

There’s a reason why the two are so close. Cox and her daughter Bright rescued Peep from an abandoned nest on a farm in Florence. They found Peep peeping from an egg covered in ants. 

“I thought he wasn’t going to live, but then we peeled him out of the egg and he was fine,” said Bright.

“He was born with club feet. I fixed his feet with cardboard and electrical tape,” said Cox. “Well I guess because the first three months of his life, he was basically with me in my shirt. He went everywhere I did, ate with me, slept with me.”

Now Peep sleeps outside in his temperature controlled coop with his girlfriend. 

So far, she’s laid two eggs. Cox hopes Peep keeps a close eye on them.

Although he can’t talk back to her, Cox says she appreciates their friendship. 

“(He’s) Pure joy. On days, he just makes you laugh.” 

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