A forest official inspects the carcasses of peacocks at Madhupur village in Khurda district on Tuesday. Around 20 birds, including 18 peacocks, were found dead at the village.

They were later brought to Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology. Villagers suspected the involvement of poachers in the incident, while veterinary surgeons suspected bird flu to be the reason behind the deaths.

The carcasses will be sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal for autopsy.

“The exact cause of the deaths can only be ascertained after getting the autopsy report,” said a veterinary science professor from the varsity. The forest is home to 500 peacocks.

Picture by Ashwinee Pati