Just a week before Independence Day, a peacock – the
national bird of our country – died due to the negligence of the forest
officer’s team in Pernem. Shripad Parab, a local villager, strongly feels that
the peacock could have been saved if it was given proper treatment at the right
time and has vowed to take the fight to the forest officials.
On August 8, in a place called Karain, Virnoba, Pernem, a
place frequented by colourful peacocks throughout the year, some women from the
village observed that a male peacock had a wounded leg.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
One of the villagers, Sharmishtha Parab, decided to take the
peacock home as it was in need of treatment. Shripad Parab, her husband, after
coming home in the evening, decided to hand over the bird to the forest
officials as it needed medical assistance.
Vilas Gawas, RFO of Pernem, was contacted. Quick to respond,
he sent a team of 4 guards from the forest department to take custody of the
bird within 2 hours. According to Parab, the forest officials assured the
villagers that the bird would be taken to Campal, Panjim for medical treatment
the next day. However, when the villagers contacted the forest officials the
next morning, they were shocked to know that the bird was not taken for any
treatment.
Shripad Parab says, “The next correspondence on the status
of the bird came in the evening from Gawas who was not answering calls all day,
but he reassured us that the bird will be given proper treatment and taken to
Bondla instead of Campal the next morning for medical treatment.”
However, the following day, the villagers learnt that the
peacock died at Pernem itself.
What is pitiful is the reason Vilas Gawas, RFO, Pernem gives
for the delay in treatment. He said, “The driver of the vehicle was not there
the next day, besides that, we had to look after the other animals too,
therefore the treatment was delayed. Also, there are no doctors in Campal, they
are only available in Bondla so we had to wait.”
When asked about the post mortem report, he refuted
allegations made by Parab, stating that there was no injury on the peacock and
it died a natural death. “The bird died while we were on our way to Bondla for
treatment. I’ve still not seen the report but I assume the cause of death is
due to an artery failure,” Gawas added.
Will the authorities
take note of it and right the wrongs by providing more staff and doctors or
will they continue to turn a blind eye and wait for more animal and bird deaths
to initiate any action?
