Pesticide makes four peacocks ill

On his morning round of inspection, Gangadhar, the gardener, found the birds, regular visitors to the grove, appeared to be very sick, lying down listless with wings drooping, even when approached, and whimpering, instead of their frisky selves, flittering and squawking, as they usually do at the break of dawn.

He noticed that the birds exhibited reluctance or inability to fly. On Saturday, the gardener had sprayed pesticide on the flowers in the mango trees to their withering. He suspects that the birds had munched on the mango flowers.

As soon as he noticed the birds’ condition, Gangadhar alerted staff of the Forest Department who arrived on the spot, took charge of the birds and administered first aid to them. After the treatment, three had recovered while one was still not responding, according to Satish, an eyewitness. The Forest staff have shifted the birds to the Rayanadurga deer park.