Wild Willy, a wild peacock, showed up at Alpine resident Diana Cavagnaro and her neighbor’s yards about a year and a half ago. Wild Willy was a black shoulder peacock. Since his arrival, he has been living in-between five adjoining properties.
“My neighbor called him Willy. I started calling him Wild Willy. He came here about a year and a half ago. My neighbor raises peacocks, and he came around to say hello to her peacocks. They were in a cage, but he would come around and talk to them. We thought about making a cage for Wild Willy, but we thought since he was wild and able to care for himself, we did not feel that it was right to cage him. He was able to keep himself from harm from the coyotes and racoons. At night, I would be in my hat studio, and every night he would come and flop on my roof. From there, he would fly across to my neighbor’s pine tree, which is a tall pine tree, and he would roost up there during the evening. He was smart, and kind of friendly,” she said. “I would feed Willy every day. It really lifted me. It was a gift to see him. He was so beautiful.”
Wild Willy was hit by a speeding car last Thursday in the 1300 block of South Grade Road in Alpine this week. Tragically, the accident killed the beloved bird, Cavagnaro said. She found Wild Willy in the road last Thursday while walking a dog.
“The cars keep going faster and faster on South Grade Road,” she said. “I would say some are going as fast as 80 to 90 mph. I used to go across the street twice a day to walk my dog, and now I feel uncomfortable crossing the road with people driving so fast. We must worry about dogs and children as the school bus comes down South Grade Road. It is getting to be a problem.”
Cavagnaro said that she posted about the accident on Loving Life Alpine Facebook page and was astonished about all the comments about the fast drivers on South Grade Road, how many people had seen Wild Willy, and even a young man on a bicycle who stopped and moved him out of the street and off to the side of the road.
Cavagnaro is not only a resident of Alpine, but she is also the founder of Diana Cavagnaro Couture Millenary. Her artistic endeavors are international, with her discussions of the art of millinery, fashion, and hat making. Many of her creations have been seen worn by stars, celebrities, and socialites, with many of her designs made for customers who attend the Kentucky Derby, and the Royal Ascot, and Dubai.
“Willy looked an amazing bright-blue and green. The Indian peafowl is native to the Indian continent and is considered the national bird of India. I would collect his magnificent feathers when they fell out to make a hat,” she said. “I sent a hat made from his feathers to Milan, Italy in February for the Queen’s Hat Exhibition. My hat collection was called a Bevy of Peacocks and included hats made from Willy’s feathers and my neighbors beautiful peacocks. People now know Willy and his story internationally because of all the people from around the world who came to visit the Queen’s Hat Exhibition. Willy brought so much joy and beauty to the world, and he will be sorely missed.”
