Screenshot of peacocks in the Xixiakou Shendiao Wild Animal Nature Reserve in Weihai

A wildlife nature reserve in Weihai, East China's Shandong Province, said on Sunday that it will strengthen the management of more than 1,000 free-range peacocks in the park after news came out Saturday that a tiger had eaten up a blue peacock.

A tourist visiting the Xixiakou Shendiao Wild Animal Nature Reserve in Weihai first broke out the news about the incident on Saturday. 

A manager surnamed Cong of the reserve told media that staff in the park saw the tragedy but there was nothing they can do to stop the tiger. "Never has such an incident happened before," Cong said, noting that the zoo is working on measures to prevent peacocks from running into the fierce animals' zone, Beijing Youth Daily reported on Sunday. 

Cong explained that the zoo has more than 1,000 free-range peacocks, as they are not harmful to people and providing them with a free-range environment ensures they have a comfortable living space.

Strengthened management and other relevant measures will be introduced to prevent such incidents from happening again, the manager said. 

Netizens on Chinese Twitter-like social media platform Weibo expressed sympathy for the unfortunate peacock, saying that sometimes "living within a box" is more important than freedom when it comes to life-threatening events.