The death of 14 peacocks in a month in Chittoor district has come as a shock to the forest officials and residents of the forest fringe villages.
On February 11, the carcasses of seven peacocks were found in the fields close to the forest at Somala village, while the cause of death was confirmed to be “a bacterial infection.” The death of three birds at Palamaner on March 8 was suspected to be due to “poisoning”, while in the four deaths at Kuppam on March 5, no clear clues are available so far.
With copious rains in 2021, the Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary belt and the forest cover in Chittoor west, Punganur, and Madanapalle ranges are teeming with a new generation of wildlife species, while the population of peacocks has replenished by leaps and bounds.
