TN: Poacher held with slain peacocks

Tiruchirapalli, Aug 18: The Forest Department officials arrested a poacher on charges of hunting peacocks and recovered 17 slain birds at Kalingapatti near Manapparai in Tiruchirapalli district.

A patrolling team intercepted a three-member poacher team on a two-wheeler and recovered six adult peacocks and 11 peahens dumped in a gunny bag, yesterday, official sources said.

Police arrested P Sethu and seized a country-made gun and impounded the two-wheeler. A hunt was on for his accomplices-- K Mani and P Malayandi, who managed to escape.

Sethu, who was remanded to judicial custody, told the officials that the birds were hunted at Surapatti village in adjoining Pudukkottai district.

Efforts were on to trace the absconding, the sources added.

UNI