India, Aug. 4 -- Karnataka's Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre has ordered a swift investigation into the death of nearly 20 peacocks in a farmland near Midigesi village in Madhugiri taluk, located in Tumakuru district. The state government has taken serious note of the incident, coming just weeks after a string of wildlife poisoning cases involving monkeys and even a tigress with her cubs.

Reacting to the reports of the unnatural deaths of the national bird, the minister instructed the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) to head an inquiry and submit a detailed report within five days. Preliminary reports in the media have suggested that the birds may have died due to pesticide poisoning.

In a communication to t...