After the national animal, is it the turn of the national bird to give up in the battle for survival against man? Looks like it is, reports Anil Sharma, after a spate of peacock deaths in Rajasthan
The near-divine sight of a peacock dancing in the monsoons may soon be a thing of the past. Peacock population is dwindling fast due to habitat loss, contamination of food sources and poaching. In great demand for their feathers and meat, these pretty birds are being mercilessly hunted down in thousands all over Rajasthan.
Poaching is currently the most vital cause for the plummeting peacock population across the desert state. Four peacocks were recently found dead in an agriculture field in Karoli village in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan. Police suspected it to be the handiwork of poachers. Similarly, a couple of months ago, 13 peacocks were found dead in Haleda village in Bhilwara district and another 9 in a small village in Chittorgarh district. In fact, a recent survey by People for Animals (PFA) showed that as many as 10 peacocks were being killed daily in Rajasthan! Thirty-six villages in 14 districts are marked to be the most dangerous places for peacocks in the state. “Maximum deaths are taking place in Ajmer, Bharatpur, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh and the Shekhawati belt of the state and, according to the available information, over 250 peacocks have been killed in these places in the last few months,” said Babulal Jaju, PFA's Rajasthan head. PFA feels that most of the times the incident goes unreported as peacock poaching takes place outside the forest territory due to which officials are reluctant to probe the issue. The survey alleged that the tribals, who eat the white meat of birds, are the biggest culprits. “Tribals eat the meat of the bird assuming it makes them physically strong; it is absolutely absurd,” the PFA head added.
Export of male peacock feathers fuelled by increasing demand is also a grave cause for concern in the conservation of the national bird. On an average, a peacock feather is sold at six to eight dollars in the international market. It is little wonder that large-scale poaching continues unworried.
Peacocks are also targeted for their fat which some consider a cure for arthritis. The poaching modus operandi is simple. Poisoned food is first offered to peacocks and before they are dead, they are beheaded, the crest ripped off, and then the tail feathers plucked. Some poachers, even more brutally, trap the bird first, break its legs, pull out the feathers and then kill it, just to avoid making the feathers messy with blood! According to wildlife experts, most peacocks are killed during the mating season, when they are most vulnerable as they dance around in the open and are easily targeted. Sleeping in the same tree every night is also a trait that makes them easy prey.
The near-divine sight of a peacock dancing in the monsoons may soon be a thing of the past. Peacock population is dwindling fast due to habitat loss, contamination of food sources and poaching. In great demand for their feathers and meat, these pretty birds are being mercilessly hunted down in thousands all over Rajasthan.
Poaching is currently the most vital cause for the plummeting peacock population across the desert state. Four peacocks were recently found dead in an agriculture field in Karoli village in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan. Police suspected it to be the handiwork of poachers. Similarly, a couple of months ago, 13 peacocks were found dead in Haleda village in Bhilwara district and another 9 in a small village in Chittorgarh district. In fact, a recent survey by People for Animals (PFA) showed that as many as 10 peacocks were being killed daily in Rajasthan! Thirty-six villages in 14 districts are marked to be the most dangerous places for peacocks in the state. “Maximum deaths are taking place in Ajmer, Bharatpur, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh and the Shekhawati belt of the state and, according to the available information, over 250 peacocks have been killed in these places in the last few months,” said Babulal Jaju, PFA's Rajasthan head. PFA feels that most of the times the incident goes unreported as peacock poaching takes place outside the forest territory due to which officials are reluctant to probe the issue. The survey alleged that the tribals, who eat the white meat of birds, are the biggest culprits. “Tribals eat the meat of the bird assuming it makes them physically strong; it is absolutely absurd,” the PFA head added.
Export of male peacock feathers fuelled by increasing demand is also a grave cause for concern in the conservation of the national bird. On an average, a peacock feather is sold at six to eight dollars in the international market. It is little wonder that large-scale poaching continues unworried.
Peacocks are also targeted for their fat which some consider a cure for arthritis. The poaching modus operandi is simple. Poisoned food is first offered to peacocks and before they are dead, they are beheaded, the crest ripped off, and then the tail feathers plucked. Some poachers, even more brutally, trap the bird first, break its legs, pull out the feathers and then kill it, just to avoid making the feathers messy with blood! According to wildlife experts, most peacocks are killed during the mating season, when they are most vulnerable as they dance around in the open and are easily targeted. Sleeping in the same tree every night is also a trait that makes them easy prey.
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