27 peacocks died due to heat at Palam air base in Delhi since June 4
The areas where the bird deaths were reported were heavily concretised and had limited food or water, officials said
The forest and wildlife department of the Delhi government carried out an inspection at the Palam air force station and reported three peacock deaths on Tuesday. The toll of the national bird at the base since June 4 has now touched 27, and all the deaths are suspected to be a result of heatstroke, officials aware of the matter said.
The inspection was carried out following reports of the recent deaths. The areas where the bird deaths were reported were heavily concretised and had limited food or water, the officials said and directed the base to create watering holes and provide sufficient food for the birds, wherever necessary.
The department said that each death was reported to the Delhi Police on its emergency number, 112, and the peacocks given a ceremonial burial, as per the national protocol, which also involves wrapping the bird in the tricolour.
The post-mortem examination of one of the birds that died on June 17 was carried out by the Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre, which said that the cause of death was likely to be heatstroke. Another four carcasses have been sent to the Delhi Zoo for a post-mortem examination. A forest department team, headed by deputy range officer (west) Rajesh Tandon, has also been deployed at the base, the department added.
“The team will stay deployed in the area to ensure the directions issued by the department are followed and that no further fatalities are reported. The teams will also provide any medicines required for the wildlife to battle the heat,” said a forest official.
“In all cases, a ceremonial burial was carried out by the Delhi Police. After we got to know about these deaths, an inspection was carried out and it appears that heatstroke is the reason in all the cases,” said Delhi’s chief wildlife warden Suneesh Buxy.
An incident report prepared by the forest department showed that the peacock deaths were reported on June 4, June 6, June 11 and June 12. Two deaths each were reported between June 13 and June 15. On June 17, a single death was reported; two on June 18, four on June 19 and one on June 20. On June 22, two deaths were reported and four more took place on June 24.
“On June 25, we were informed of three more deaths,” said Buxy, adding that six more peacocks were sent for treatment after they had other heat-related problems, including dehydration.
Keeping in mind the high concretisation at the base, the department has asked authorities to construct watering holes that are five feet in diameter and at least 10 inches deep. “This should preferably be in areas with shade. Sufficient feed shall be also placed on different location for the peacocks, keeping the aspects of aviation in the area in mind,” the department said in its report on Tuesday.
Deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Rohit Meena said, “We have been getting calls about peacock deaths from the air force station almost every day now, since the summer has been quite harsh this year. We follow due procedure in all the cases. We also get calls from Army Cantt area as there are many peacocks there as well. Earlier, we used to get one or two calls in 10 days. Now, it has increased due to the heat,” he said.
Faiyaz Khudsar, scientist in-charge at DDA’s Biodiversity Parks Programme, said that heatstrokes in such high heat were common, but peacocks and peafowls are known to survive in semi-arid to arid weather. “Therefore, it is surprising to see such a high death count. We need to assess or study why the birds, in the absence of food and such high temperature, is then not flying away from the base,” he added.