43 peacocks die after eating pest infested vegetation in Madurai

According to Madurai District Forest Officer JR Samartha, preliminary investigations point to the fact that the muster of peacocks possibly fed on pest infested vegetation. Normally, the people at the locality, which comes under Madurai forest range, provide feed for peacocks. 

The peacocks were sent to the animal rescue centre at T Andipatti near Sholavandan for post-mortem. These peacocks would normally move in groups and were native species, all adults. The 2015 population estimates found about 5,000 to 6,000 peacocks in Madurai, Samartha said. Moreover, the District Forest Officer said more awareness should be created among farmers, whose cooperation was required to protect peacocks from any such deaths.

Very recently, four peacocks were found dead on a barren land at a remote locality in Kayathar, Thoothukudi district. Post mortem examination reports revealed that the deaths occurred due to indigestion after consumption of white stones, Kovilpatti Forest Range Officer S Sivaram had said. 

Further, sources said such deaths of peacocks, which are sensitive by nature, could be due to several other factors including heat stroke, indigestion or poisoning because of pesticide spray. The farmers have been advised to take up organic cultivation of crops and keep off pesticides, sources added.