Six peahens found dead in Sector 52, poisoning suspected

Six peahens were found dead on Tuesday morning adjacent to a residential complex in Sector 52 , in close proximity to a popular bird feeding spot, near the Kholiwaale Baba temple, wildlife officials said

Six peahens were found dead on Tuesday morning adjacent to a residential complex in Sector 52 , in close proximity to a popular bird feeding spot, near the Kholiwaale Baba temple, wildlife officials said.

Six peahens found dead in Sector 52, poisoning suspected

An environmentalist alerted the police and the wildlife department after he spotted the dead birds. Harvinder Singh Minhas, a resident of Suncity residential complex, said he, his wife and a friend were passing by the area when they spotted the dead birds. “They were lying dead in different locations and there were no injury marks. The wildlife officials were alerted. The place was littered with grains meant for feeding birds,” he said.

Officials said one member of their team will be deployed at the spot to ensure that no more grain is thrown in the area, adding that they do not rule out the possibility of poisoning.

Wildlife inspector Rajesh Chahal said they received a call around 10am and a team was rushed to the spot. “The six dead peahens were found lying within a 50-metre radius. Our preliminary probe has revealed that they died due to a fungal infection,” he said.

Chahal said they have sent the birds to the Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences pathology laboratory in Hisar to ascertain whether the peahens died of poisoning. “The autopsy will be conducted by a board of veterinary doctors,” he said.

Chahal further said the grains were possibly coated with pesticides. “We have collected the grains and have sent them to a lab for testing. Our team will visit the area on a regular basis for a few days to spread awareness among the residents,” he said.

Residents living nearby regularly feed birds, especially peacocks and peahens, said officials.

Peacocks come under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act,1972, which makes them an endangered species and prohibits their hunting except under threat to human life.