The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : National bird taken off the streets

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 12, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

National bird taken off the streets

P. Oppili

IN SAFE HANDS: The rescued peacock in a cage at the Wildlife Headquarters Range Office at Velachery. — Photo: S. Thanthoni

CHENNAI: For the third time this week, Wildlife authorities were called in to rescue the National Bird. The Wildlife authorities said that they received a call on Monday saying that there was a peacock on the Arundale Beach Road. Animal trappers from the Wildlife Headquarters office at Velachery, went to Besant Nagar and rescued the bird. It was put into a cage and brought to the Department office.

Earlier, on July 4, the authorities received information about a peacock on Car Street, Velachery, said K.S. Sathyamurthy, Range Officer, Headquarters (Wildlife). A team rescued the bird and later released it into the Children's Park at Guindy.

A similar incident was reported from K.K. Nagar

where a peahen was rescued. Mr. Sathyamurthy said.

When the bird is in a human habitation, it should be trapped by professionals, which required a lot of patience, he said. "Our animal handlers lured the bird with feed and then trapped and put the bird into a cage."

Another incident of a stray peacock was reported in Tambaram on Monday. But as the local Forest officials tried to chase the bird, it flew into the Madras Christian College premises. The plan of trapping it was then dropped.

With the release of the rescued peacocks at the Children's Park, their number has risen. At present, the Park houses nine peacocks and two peahens, the authorities added.

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