Krishnagar: The forest department has asked Iskcon to hand over eight peacocks caged on the temple premises in Mayapur, Nadia. In a letter written last week, the divisional forest officer has asked the temple authorities to hand over the national birds "immediately' "Otherwise, the department will have no other option than to seize them.' The number of peacocks, eight when a forest department team had gone to the temple on an inspection a few weeks ago, has gone up to 14 over the past two days following the birth of six birds. "Iskcon should have sought the approval of the Central Zoo Authority (before caging the national bird),' said Lipika Roy, the divisional forest officer, Nadia and Murshidabad. The forest ranger of Krishnagar, Haridas Bhattacharya, said Iskcon had applied for the zoo authority's permission. Peacocks are protected under the wildlife act. "It is illegal to catch, keep, kill, sale or buy the birds,' Roy said. Iskcon (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) defended its action. Its publicity manager, Ramesh Das, said: "We look after the birds well, like any proper zoo. We are awaiting the permission.' Asked how the birds found their way to the temple, ab- out 100km from Calcutta, Das said: "I don't know.' He added: "We consult veterinary doctors and give them proper medication if needed.' The temple claimed to have taken "special precaution' during the bird flu outbreak in Nadia earlier this year. "We did not allow visitors to the temple to come close to the birds. We also made handlers wear protective gear,' said Das. Mayapur, however, was outside the culling area. Forest officials who went to see an elephant kept in the temple had spotted the peaco-cks. "Iskcon had the permission to keep the elephant, not the birds,' an official said. Forest ranger Bhattacharya said keeping birds without permission could lead to seven years' imprisonment and fine.