The footage shows him cooking peacock curry, which was allegedly a stunt to boost views.
An aspiring social media influencer in India has been arrested after drawing criticism for a video of him cooking and eating a peacock, a bird protected under the country's wildlife protection laws, police said.
Kodam Pranay Kumar was arrested on Monday and later jailed after investigators found additional videos on his phone that confirmed the bird he featured in the cooking video was indeed a peacock.
Peacocks are protected under strict wildlife conservation regulations.
“He is currently in 14-day custody under the Wildlife Protection Act and the court will decide whether to continue his custody or grant him bail,” Telangana police commissioner Akhil Mahajan said.
Authorities have recovered the remains of the curry and taken samples for forensic analysis to determine whether it indeed contained peacock meat.
Authorities are also trying to determine how Kumar obtained the peacock in the video, which has since been removed from his social media channels.
Watch the video posted by Kodam Pranay Kumar on X
A local YouTuber released a controversial video on his channel titled “Traditional Peacock Curry Recipe”, sparking outrage from animal lovers.
The video, posted by Kotham Pranay Kumar of Thangarapalli in Sirichira district, has garnered a lot of attention. pic.twitter.com/rMpGNhYMix
— News Meter (@NewsMeter_In) August 11, 2024
Curry video sparks outrage
The footage shows him preparing and eating peacock curry, which was allegedly a stunt to boost views. Times of IndiaBut the reaction wasn't what he expected.
The video went viral on social media, triggering widespread outrage and calls for action against Kumar.
The Indian peacock has great cultural significance
The Indian peacock (also known as the Indian peafowl or Pavo cristatus), known for its vibrant blue colouring and impressive wingspan, has great cultural importance in India. The throne of the Mughal dynasty was famously known as the Peacock Throne and was once adorned with a jewelled peacock that lived in the plains of North India. The peacock is also the national bird of India.
In recent years, rapid urbanization and habitat loss have caused a significant decline in wild peacock populations, prompting the implementation of tough penalties and fines under the Wildlife Protection Act to protect the birds from hunting and harm.
Additional sources: AFP
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