14 peacocks found dead in Agra district

KANPUR: Fourteen peacocks died of suspected poisoning in Dabli village of Agra district on Wednesday.

Peacocks were found dead in the fields of Samudra Singh, informed forest officer Jaipal Singh. "It appears that the peacocks have died after consuming pesticide spread by farmer in agricultural land," he said, adding that the bodies of fourteen birds were sent for post-mortem examination and their viscera has been rushed for laboratory test.

He added that the peacocks were oozing a fluid from their mouth.

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. However, its feathers and fat, used in the treatment of arthritis, fetch a good amount. "If found guilty, the agricultural field owner would be booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Wildlife Protection Act," informed a senior Forest department official.