Bundi district tops in poaching of the national bird in Rajasthan, with as many as 200 peacocks reportedly killed in 2016. However, in the latest incident, where the necks of all the birds were found to be broken, poaching may not be the motive behind the carnage, wildlife officials camping on the spot told Mail Today over phone.

"The postmortem report confirms that birds were not poisoned but died due to injury in their neck. Apparently, their windpipe was twisted," said RameshwarChandolia, range officer, state forest department, who found the bodies after a tip off. The search for the alleged culprits is underway, he said.

Wildlife experts in the state say that killing of the bird is rampant as not only poachers but farmers too are feeding them with pesticides to keep them away from the cultivable areas and prevent damage to their crops.

"It is found that during seed sowing season farmers generally put pesticide which peacock feeds and gets killed. There are certain traditional communities which are also engaged in poaching of birds and Bundi is worst hit when it comes to killing of peacocks," additional principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) GV Reddy told Mail Today.

Reddy said killing of national birds is not limited to one state as the birds are in danger across India. Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and the Western Ghats area have seen a rise in killing of the national bird.

ALL FEATHER FOR THE FEATHERS?

According to animal activists, the reason for a constant rise in their deaths is that peacock is the only bird whose feathers are allowed to be sold. Thus there is no ban on collecting and selling feathers shed by the bird. However, it is difficult to ascertain whether the feathers were plucked from the bird or picked after natural shedding.

"Earlier a feather under examination could reveal whether it was plucked or shed. But now, the bottom portion of the feather is cut by its sellers making it difficult to find the way it was procured," said Kamna Pandey, co-opted member of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and an animal activist.

"Farmers have started poisoning peacocks as poachers through middlemen have spread fear among them that birds will destroy their crops. They supply pesticide and positions which is laced in food and given to birds. Bodies of these birds are later taken by these middlemen who use their meat and body parts," Pandey said.

Stressing that the increased demand for feathers domestically and internationally has put pressure on the species, Pandey said large number of feathers are exported to middle-east countries and has religious usage.

Peacock feathers are used in making fans, fancy peafowl dolls, ear-rings and used by certain Ayurvedic medicine.

The peacock enjoys protected status under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and killing the bird is punishable under section 51(1-A) with imprisonment that may extend to seven years, and financial penalty.

According to a study conducted by TRAFFIC, an arm of WWF, Tamil Nadu is the third major source of peacock plumes in the country after Rajasthan and Gujarat. Data collected from 20 states over two years by a TRAFFIC team reveals that an aggregate of 25.71 crore bunches of feathers were found in godowns in Rajasthan, 3 crore in Gujarat and 2 lakh in Tamil Nadu.

Agra and Rajasthan are the major suppliers of peacock feathers to Tamil Nadu and West Bengal while Odisha is the biggest buyer of such feathers