Three pelicans were found dead in Keelkattalai lake situated on the Thoraipakkam – Pallavaram Radial road.
Wildlife authorities, who sent the carcasses for post-mortem, said poachers would have caught the birds with an intention to sell them. The birds would have died of strangulation.
Fearing action from the authorities, they would have abandoned the birds.
Locals on seeing the dead birds close to the road near the lake informed the police who, in turn, alerted the wildlife officials.
Over 100 pelicans sighted
In the last 10 days, a large number of pelicans have settled in the lake on either sides of the road, the residents said. On one side the lake, over 100 pelicans could be seen while on the other side about 50 pelicans were found.
With the water level dipping at the Pallikaranai marsh owing to the rising temperature, the pelicans seem to prefer the Keelkattalai lake for feeding, naturalists said.
Till last year they were found only in the Pallikaranai marshlands and only this year they have been seen at the Keelkattalai lake for the first time, the naturalists added.
