CAN a peacock, considered to be the National Bird, die of starvation? That too in a Lord Muruga Temple? ( Mythologically, Lord Muruga travels on Peacocks). Death of a peacock in Parry's Kandasami Temple, also known as Muthukumara Devastanam on April 3 ruffled many a feather as some persons in the know attribute the death to starvation. Veterinary doctors say it died of some poultry disease. It all began on April 3, when Balasundaram, vice president, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal, suo moto took cognisance of the incident. An inspection of SPCA team followed, after which SPCA served a show cause notice to temple's Executive officer. A reply is awaited. Starvation or no starvation, a testimony filed by Dharmalingam, one of the caretakers of peacocks in the temple, a copy of which is in the possession of Express, points to a possible malnutrition theory. "...Lately, we were unable to buy corn for feeding the birds, eventually, forcing us to buy one low grade variety of corn." SPCA chief inspector W Dowlath Khan, who visited the temple after the incident, said: "We saw the peacocks being fed with potatoes, tomatoes and vegetable peels whereas the prescribed staple for peacocks includes corn, raggie and maize. According to SPCA president P Rajamanickam, the temple doesn't have permission under the Wildlife Act to keep the peacocks. "And it's an offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act also. They say devotees have donated peacocks. If so, where and how did the devotees get it? The temple does not keep any register in this regard." Express spotted 12 peacocks in a cage in the temple on Wednesday. A temple caretaker, who requested anonymity, said the peacock that was found dead had picked up a fight with another and got injured in head on April 2. "Then we took it to Madras Veterinary College and we took it back after diagnosis around 1 pm. However, it died, after which I handed over the body of the bird to Vepery veterinary hospital." Sources at theMadras Veterinary Colle ge (MVC), which conducted an autopsy, said that it died of a poultry disease and not because of starvation.