National bird under threat: 33 peafowl found dead in 4 farms near Coimbatore; likely killed by poisoning

Dead peafowl found in 4 farms

Following a tip-off, the Sultanpet police visited the farms and found the carcasses of India’s national bird and informed the Forest Department officials.

The officials, headed by P Santhiya, forest range officer of the Madukkarai Forest Range, rushed to the spot and found the dead peafowl scattered across four farmlands belonging to different people.

The team recovered 17 carcasses of peacocks and peahens in a coconut farm owned by one Shanmugaraj. Another 12 peafowl were found dead on the farm of one Ramasamy, and two birds each were found on farms belonging to Gopalsamy and Kanthasamy, respectively.

During the field inspection, the officials found maize scattered near the dead birds and they collected samples of the maize for testing.

The officials collected the dead birds and took them to the Madukkarai Forest Range office for postmortem.

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Traces of poison found 

During the postmortem, headed by Forest Veterinary Officer A Sukumar, the veterinarian found pink-coloured maize in the gizzards of all the peafowl. Samples of the maize ingested by the birds and samples of their internal organs, including the kidneys, liver, and spleen, were collected for forensic analysis.

Forest Department officials inspects the dead peafowl. (Supplied)

According to the forest officials, the samples were sent to a forensic laboratory in Chennai attached to the Forest Department, and another set of samples were sent to the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) for analysis. The results are expected in a week.

The Forest Department registered a wildlife offense report in connection with the death of the peafowl.

During the investigation, the officials found that one of the farmers had sown maize in his field two days ago. The officials suspect that poison-laced maize may have been scattered to prevent the birds from eating the sown seeds.

Also read: NGT files case based on South First report on Neyveli farmers’ plight

Farmers should be sensitised

The killing of these peafowl has raised concerns among bird enthusiasts.

Speaking to South First, Anand Mathew, a bird enthusiast from Kanniyakumari said that, almost every year, there are a number of cases regarding poaching and poisoning of peafowl and, more than the reported cases, there are those that go unreported.

“Peacocks are lively birds, prone to high levels of stress and fear, which means that even a little physical injury can cause them to suffer panic attacks. The farmers, particularly those who farm short-term crops like maize and other grains, consider peafowl a menace. Unlike controlling other animals, these birds cannot be stopped from damaging the crops,” Mathew said.

The farmers, mostly farming in the hillock areas where the peafowl survive, should be sensitised that hunting and killing of peafowl is prohibited and those found guilty can be jailed for up to seven years, he added.

Also read: Neyveli turns ‘ashtray’, leaving famers with broken promises

Incidents reported

Earlier this year, on 7 March, more than 40 peacocks were found dead in Poolankulam village in Madurai district.

In January 2022, one Kasiraja, a farmer from Tiruvannamalai, was arrested by the Forest Department for poisoning five peacocks. In the same month, two farmers from Kallakurichi district were arrested for killing 11 peafowl.

In October 2022, 15 peacocks and five peahens were poisoned by farmers in Musiri, Tiruchy. In August 2021, five peafowl were poisoned by farmers in Thoothukudi district, which is particularly known for peacock poaching.

In September 2020, as many as 28 peacocks were found dead under mysterious circumstances at a farmland in Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi district.

What the law says

The peacock, declared the national bird of India, is protected under Section 51 (1-A) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and its hunting and killing is strictly prohibited.

Though the transport, transfer and trade in the peacock’s tail feathers are allowed, the incidents of high mortality in some areas suggest their are being poached also for their meat. Peacock fat — used in the treatment of arthritis — also fetches a good amount in te market.

Mostly, the exemption granted to the feather trade is being misused by poachers.