‘A truly TERRIFYING honk’: Woman faces most fabulous threat ever when she’s chased by a glam but angry peacock

What are some animals you would definitely not want to run into while out for a walk in the wilderness? A bear? A mountain lion? How about a… peacock? At first, you might think a peacock couldn’t be all that dangerous, seeing as they’re most famous for their fabulous plumage. Don’t be fooled by their sense of style, though, as — like some kind of demented drag queen — these colorful critters can be mighty scary when they want to be.

TikTok user @alivia___rose found this out for herself when she happened to be strolling through the woods and a lone peacock decided to pounce. In a 7-second video that plays out like the shortest, strangest horror film you’ve ever seen, the prowling peacock does its best impression of a fluffy Jason Vorhees and chases after Alivia, causing her to run away in a mix of fear and befuddlement.

Again, you would think the peacock’s glorious feathers would play down the peril, but this video acts as a lesson to many of us when it comes to what peacocks actually sound like. “Truly TERRIFYING honk,” Alivia accurately described in her caption.

Thanks to this video, peacock-aphobia is about to become a lot more prevalent. “New fear unlocked,” reads one comment, while another found something else about Alivia’s pursuer even scarier than his honk: “WHY IS HE JUST GLIDING?” Here’s the thing, though: it turns out peacock attacks are a lot more common than you might think, as countless commenters chimed in with their own nightmarish experiences.

“Getting chased by a peacock is actually so horrifying I still remember getting chased by one when I was like 12,” recalled one, undoing decades of therapy in an instant. “I was chased by a peacock before and it took me YEARS to get over it,” admitted another, who still wakes up at night in a cold sweat and can’t watch anything on Peacock without screaming. “A peacock bit my thumb once,” shared another, leaving us with many, many questions.

It turns out it’s not just peacocks we should be wary of, however. “U got chased by a peacock. I got chased by a ostrich,” confessed a different commenter. Clearly, we should be careful not to pick a fight with all big birds. Although not Big Bird from Sesame Street. By all accounts, he’s very lovely and approachable — I’m not trying to get him cancelled.

“What are you actually supposed to do in this situation? Intimidate it back?” another comment wondered. So, we all know that you shouldn’t run away from a bear and that you should punch a shark on the nose, but what should you do when peacocks attack? Experts warn that peacocks can get extremely aggressive, and thanks to their sharp talons they have the means to back it up. If, like Alivia, you find yourself in danger of becoming a peacock’s prey just simply back away calmly. You’re advised not to attempt to scare the bird away by shooing it, stomping your feet, or even hitting it as that will only antagonize it further. Be careful out there, folks. Just remember… Sometimes, the birds watch you.