Nine peafowls were found dead on a field in Vadugapatti near Manapparai on Saturday. Eight were peahens and one was a peacock.
Acting on information, forest officials led by A. Maheswaran, Forest Ranger, Manapparai, rushed to the spot and found the dead birds lying scattered across a coconut farm. Since they were in a decomposed stage, a veterinarian was engaged to perform post-mortem. The birds were subsequently buried in a nearby location.
Though the actual cause of death would be known after analysis, it is suspected that they were poisoned reportedly to prevent them from eating the grain and damaging the crop. A case was registered against unknown persons.
