29 March 2016 07:55 pm
Details have emerged about the man shown holding a dead peacock in one hand and an airgun in the other, which went viral on social media, Wildlife Conservation Department spokesperson Hasini Sarathchandra said today.
According to the man’s wife's statement, which was recorded by the Wennapuwa Police, her husband had not shot the peacock.
“The peacock was accidentally knocked down by our vehicle while we were on our way to attend Mass at Wennapuwa Church last year. After knocking it down, my husband lifted the dead peacock by its neck while holding the air gun in his other hand. He threw the peacock into the jungle before attending Mass. My husband is now working in Italy. This photo was taken last year,” the wife said in her statement to the police. “We keep an airgun to scare away animals which stray into our property because we have not yet fitted the doors and windows of our house.
The man was a resident of Lunuwila in Wennappuwa. (Chaturanga Pradeep)