Brilliant blue and green peacocks strut along the sidewalks and lawns in Original Carrollwood. The peacocks were around before World War II when the Ingram Family bought 480 acres near the south shore of Lake Carroll to raise cattle and grow citrus. Mr. Ingram was advised by agriculture experts at the University of Florida to place peacocks and guinea hens on his land to protect his farm from thievery, which was a real problem at the time. When strangers approached the property, the birds would screech and rile up the even louder guinea hens thus alerting everyone to intruders. The flocks have since multiplied, and the rest is history.
