Karnakata: 3 Odisha residents held for hunting, consuming peacock meat

The forest officers, who raided the area on the basis of specific information, seized 1.5 kg of peacock meat, legs of peacock, cooked meat, nets used for catching peacocks, rolls, and a vessel in which the meat was cooked.

Tumakur (Karnakata):After the recent cases of wearing tiger claw pendants came to light in Karnataka, forest officers have arrested three persons for allegedly hinting and eating peacock meat in Tumakur district. The arrested persons were identified as Bitting Nayak, Baishakdavu and Duba Kapat, who work in a brick factory near Maranayakanapalya. The accused are Originally from Odisha. They had been killing and eating peacocks for many days, officials said.

The forest officers, who raided the area on the basis of specific information, seized 1.5 kg of peacock meat, legs of peacock, cooked meat, nets used for catching peacocks, rolls, and a vessel in which the meat was cooked. The seized meat has been sent to the forensic laboratory. A case has been registered against the arrested under the Wildlife Protection Act, forest officials said.

“Peacock belongs to Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. So, it has the same level of punishment as in the case of a tiger. It is also our national bird. The three men were arrested and booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 for hunting and killing the peacock,” a senior department official said.

There has been a drop in incidents of peacock poaching in Tumakur district. As peacock hunting is a punishable offense, such cases have almost been stopped. Due to this, the number of peacocks has also increased significantly across the district in the last four to five years. However, poaching of peacocks clandestinely takes place in some places.