Forest Department officials caught three labourers from Odisha for hunting a peacock to consume its meat on the outskirts of Tumakuru on Saturday. Based on a tip-off, a team of officials led by Deputy Conservator of Forest, Tumakuru district, Anupama H. raided a brick factory at Panditanahalli and arrested the accused.
The accused have been identified as B. Nayak, 44, Baishaku Daavu, 41, and Duba Kaapath, 38, from Belapura in Odisha. They had been working in a brick factory for the last one month. They are also professional hunters and used to lay traps to hunt birds and animals in the forest area, forest officials said. The officials recovered 1.5 kg of peacock meat and feathers along with snares and net from them. They were about to cook the meat when the officials raided and caught them. The accused, hailing from the forest area in Odisha, were not aware that it is illegal to hunt peacocks and eat their meat and were shocked to know it is an offence, forest officials said.
