No peacock culling without study: Greens

Panaji: While the Indian peafowl population has grown plenteously in the state and the species' foray into settlement areas and agricultural lands has been raising eyebrows, wildlife enthusiasts and others are against culling the birds before soft options are tried.
Although the forest department, acting on complaints at various fora, has been considering a proposal for culling of vermin that destroy crop and property, controversy broke out last week after union women and child development minister Maneka Gandhi, accused the environment ministry of a lust for killing animals and allowing the culling of nilgai and peacock as vermin in some states.
Ecologists and wildlife enthusiasts are aghast over the prioritization of human requirement over conservation ethics. "The human-wildlife conflict with regard to the detriment of life and property can be resolved through intervention. Culling is an extreme step in this direction," zoology professor Manoj Borkar, said.
Concurring with him, conservationist Benhail Antao asked, "Have these species caused more extensive destruction than humans to merit culling?"
Ecologists suggest the employment of harmless methods of audio-visual deterrence. "A device known as a reflective ribbon, which creates a humming sound in the wind and also dazzles the bird while in sunlight, can be used. Studies have shown it scares away parakeets from fields," Borkar said.
The glamorous peacock, with its iridescent plumage, enjoys Schedule 1 status under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and also pride of place as the national bird. It even finds mention in scriptures as the mount of deities.
Peafowl population has witnessed good growth over the last couple of decades, mostly in lateritic outcroppings in plateaus. While these have been its ideal habitats for roosting and breeding, the bird's foraging habits have irked farmers.
Animal lovers argue that scientific study and a reliable database are essential before a decision to cull any animal is arrived at. "The demand for culling, based on farmers' complaints of crop raids, appears to be half-baked," a wildlife enthusiast pointed out.
Borkar agreed. "Peafowl appear to have grown exponentially in Goa but has there been any scientific attempt to enumerate its population?" he asked.
Others pointed out that their presence is an indicator of a degraded environment. "A spike in population of any wild animal is an indicator of some anomaly in nature. So, should peacocks be destroyed if their numbers have increased due to this anomaly?"Antao said.
A decrease in the population of jackals, and snakes such as pythons, could just be one of the reasons behind the growth spurt in the peafowl population. "Both, pythons and jackals, feast on the eggs and fledglings of peafowl," Antao said.
Rapid urbanization and fragmentation of their habitats on plateaus is another factor. The concretization of Verna, Kundaim and now, the Kadamba plateau, have impacted their nesting and breeding. "They are bound to infringe on human habitations and descend into agricultural lands if their natural habitats are disturbed and townships are laid on potential wildlife habitat," Borkar said.
A forest department official said the peacock is the national bird and cannot be declared vermin as per the provisions of Wildlife Protection Act, adding, "There is no proposal to consider culling of peacocks."