Two peacocks found dead on Vellore Collectorate premises

Two peacocks found dead in Vellore Collectorate due to thirst. Autopsy report ruled out poisoning and injury. Birds might have come from Kottaimalai Reserve Forest, 6 km away, in search of water. Areas along the river have become concrete jungles, reducing water sources.

Two peacocks, aged around two, were found dead in the ‘A’ block of the Vellore Collectorate on Monday (July 17) evening.

Forest Department officials said the birds might have wandered in the newly developed, thickly populated residential areas like Sathuvachari and Rangapuram near the Collectorate along the dry Palar in search of water.

“We did not find any injury on the carcasses. Poisoning was also ruled out. According to the autopsy report, the birds might have died of thirst,” S. Kumar, forest range officer (Vellore), told The Hindu.

Initial inquiry revealed that a few employees of the Collectorate found the carcasses around 7 p.m. They alerted the District Forest Office (DFO) at Sathuvachari. Forest Department officials took the carcasses away for an autopsy.

They said the birds might have come in search of water from Kottaimalai Reserve Forest, around six km away. Most of the areas along the river, such as Katpadi, Saidapet and Sathuvachari, were farmland once. However, they have become a concrete jungle.