Madurai, Jun 16 : Over the past three days, as many as 24 peacocks died in separate incidents in Tamil Nadu. Officials said that this happened after the consumption of bird feed allegedly laced with poison.

As many as nine peacocks were found dead at Pulichakulam in Virudhunagar district last night, they said.

The birds had died after consuming poison mixed paddy seeds at a nearby tank-channel, they said, adding that some poachers or farmers who had raised peanut in the area were involved in the crime.

Forest officials have seized the carcasses and sent them for autopsy.

15 peacocks were found dead on June 13, on an agricultural field at Perundurai in Erode district and a farmer was arrested on charges of poisoning the birds.

The farmer had said he had mixed feed with pesticide as peacocks were damaging his crops, officials said.

PTI