Palamau tiger reserve officials have recovered 15 peacock chicks from nearly six villages under its south division.
These peacock chicks were with hen chicks in the houses of different families.
Deputy director south division of the tiger reserve Palamau Kumar Ashish has confirmed the recovery of 15 peacock chicks.
Ashish said all the recovered peacock chicks have been housed in the bird rescue centre at Garu.
The deputy director south division of the tiger reserve Palamau said no case has been lodged against any family from where these peacock chicks have been rescued as he added "These families in fact laboured to save the eggs of the peacock as it could have been wasted in the jungles but they brought the eggs home and got it hatched by their domestic hen."
There is great acceptability to the peacock chicks by the hens as hens treat it as their own chicks.
Umesh Dubey ranger Garu east said some families took cash from us saying they are poor but have bought maize and wheat for these chicks and thus their money has been spent on the feed of the peacock chicks. Dubey said we did not disappoint the families.
The rescued peacock chicks are in a beautiful bird rescue centre, spacious and cozy too. They are being fed termites, said the ranger.
Deputy director south division Ashish said people who go into the jungles of the PTR know where to find eggs of the peacock and their luck hardly fails them.
These people do not destroy these eggs but know how it may make them richer by a few hundreds. The eggs give birth to chicks but PTR people are vigilant enough to find out where the peacock chicks are playing with hen chicks explained Ashish.
Sources said the picking up of the eggs of peacock is not with any malafide intention. It's a kind of cottage enterprise to raise the population of the peacocks with hen chicks here in the tiger reserve Palamau.