The forest department has come to the conclusion that the 20 peacocks that were found dead on an agriculture land at Kondalangkuppam near Vanur in Villupuram district were poisoned by local farmers for straying into their farmlands in search of fodder.
An official with Tindivanam Range Office told The Hindu that they have found samples of pesticide mixed rice from a groundnut field. “We are almost certain that the birds died after consuming pesticide mixed rice. We found the samples from a field where groundnut was being cultivated.
It is a deliberate act and the birds have not taken the rice accidentally,” the official said. Investigators have identified four persons who could be behind planting the pesticide mixed rice on the agriculture land.
The owner of the land was reported to be absconding after the incident came to light, said an official.
Another official said that the birds were killed not for meat or extraction of oil but to prevent them from destroying the crops.
