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Killing of crows shocks residents

Staff Reporter

GRUESOME ACT: Veterinary assistant surgeon K. Shravan Kumar performing post mortem on dead crows. Accused Shetty Sambaiah is seen with folded hands to the left.

ADILABAD: The `extermination' of over 200 crows in Adilabad town on Tuesday has come as a shock not only to bird lovers but ordinary people too. Shetty Sambaiah of Guntur, who was caught by the police for allegedly killing these natural scavengers, confessed to `the hunting' at Gandhi Park by poisoning the birds.

The accused, booked under Section 429 IPC and other relevant acts related to the killing and maiming of birds, said his family consumed the birds which was why he had indulged in killing them by poisoning.

He said rice mixed with the sap of Datura plant attracted crows, which fell dead on eating the mixture.

Food poisoned

On Tuesday afternoon, it is believed that a flock consisting of over 200 crows ate the poisoned food and died within minutes.

The dead birds lay scattered around the park, which prompted people to inform One Town Police who immediately descended upon the area and caught Sambaiah who was in the process of collecting the dead birds. He confessed to the crime saying his family had done so for ages.

At the police station, he said he can eat three crows and his wife and four children can consume another seven to eight during a single meal. Sambaiah said he had come from Guntur two months ago and used to sell balloons, hairpins and rubber bands in surrounding villages. He often killed crows while on village visits. Town CI T. Padmanabha Reddy and SI L. Jeevan Reddy are investigating.

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