Hello there!
The peacock is the national bird of India. It also goes by the names mayura or peafowl. In Panaji, in Goa, there were several instances that the peacocks were involved in crop destruction in nearby villages. However, we cannot fault the peacocks for this action. Due to human land expansion, the peacocks habitats are slowly becoming threatened. They venture into fields of the farmers because of the lack of food and natural habitat in their supposed regions.
Aside from peacocks, other animals like wild boars, wild monkeys and wild bisons are also being decided to be put into the "vermin" category. Since the peacocks are the national bird of India, they are well protected under the constitution. Hunting and poaching of peacocks aren't allowed. Doing so can result into fines and jail time.
Reclassifying them into the "vermin" category can greatly endanger them. This would allow for the killing and hunting of the peacocks. Right now, the peacocks are not in the endangered list of the IUCN. But after this reclassification, we don't know what will happen.
Just last year, the coconut trees were reclassified into palms because supposedly it doesn't have branches. The reclassification made the coconut trees or palms unprotected. Because of this, a company distillery called Vani Agro was able to tear down about 500 coconut trees in the Sanguem area.
So what would happen to the peacocks once this classification is passed? It's hard not to imagine the worst. For me, instead of listing them as vermin, the government should provide solutions to protect this species. After all, it's not just any bird, it's the national bird of the country. Peacocks can certainly be controlled and maybe if the government can provide the right environment for them, they would not venture out into the human habitats.
I hope this helps!
