Several peacocks, the national bird, were found dead as unknown miscreants spread paddy mixed with poison along a tank bed in Chitur village in Lingala Ghanpur mandal in the district.
The incident came to light when farmers in the vicinity found foul smell emanating from the tank and where shocked to find several peacocks dead.
Coming to know about the incident, forest, police and revenue officials rushed to the village on Monday to conduct an inquiry. The forest officials also conducted post-mortem to find out the exact cause of death.
“Some people are killing the birds to sell them to road side dhabhas which offer them as special dish. However, seeing many dead, the miscreants might have ran away to escape from the police and forest officials,” said a villager Yadagiri.
Divisional Forest Officer (North), V. Linga Rao said eight peacocks were found dead in the village on Monday. “It was a deliberate act of miscreants. As people do not kill them, the bird population grew in the recent times. However, this seems to be a motivated one. Those who eat peacock flesh get leprosy and not many are aware of it. Culprits responsible for the gruesome act will be nabbed,” he told The Hindu . The peacock population was on the rise in Jangaon, Maddur, Cheriyal and surrounding mandals where there are hillocks interspersed with forest patches. They lay eggs amid hillocks as there would be no movement of people. However, in recent times, they began entering the habitations as the forest patch is being cleared for cultivation.
