23 peacocks found dead in Rajasthan

JAIPUR: 23 peacocks were found dead at two different places in Rajasthan after consuming suspected poisonous food grains, police said today.

Carcasses of 17 peacocks, 5 male and 12 female, were found in Nagarfort area in Tonk district yesterday, SHO of Nagarfort police station, Surendra said.

Six more peacocks were found dead in the forest area of Barwala village of Makrana town yesterday, police said.

Forensic experts of the forest department suspect that the peacocks died after consuming poisonous food grains. The samples of the food grains have been collected, the SHO said.

Cases under sections of Wildlife Protection Act have been registered by the forest department, he said, adding that the carcasses were buried after the postmortem.

Officer on special duty (OSD) in wildlife crime control bureau and environmentalist, BL Jajju, said it is sheer example of carelessness of forest and police departments that the national bird was being killed in parts of Rajasthan.

"We urge chief minister Ashok Gehlot to take cognizance of such wildlife cases and ensure free and fair probe so that responsibility be laid on the forest department for such crimes," Jajju said.

"On average, ten peacocks were being killed daily by poachers in the state, but the forest and police officials are just sitting pretty on the fence. They are doing an eyewash job by only filing cases and ensuring no legal action against those who were engaged in illegal killings," Jajju said.