Poachers held with peacock carcasses

SITAPUR - Three poachers have been arrested with carcasses of peacocks, which were killed by them in a forest area here, police said Thursday.

The three men, in their mid-30s, were nabbed Wednesday night with carcasses of three peacocks during a joint operation by the district police and forest officials.

“They have confessed killing the peacocks in the Saraiyan forest area of the district,” police inspector M.G. Gupta told reporters here.

“The three have also admitted that they have been killing peacocks for over last three years to supply the bird’s meat and feathers to their clients based in various districts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and other states,” he added.

Peacock, the national bird of India, is protected under Section 51 (1-A) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and its killing is strictly prohibited.

“The three men have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Wildlife Protection Act,” Gupta said.

Feathers of the peacock and its fat, used in the treatment of arthritis, fetch a good amount of money.