They confessed that they hunted the birds to extract some oil Thoothukudi Forest Department officials on Sunday arrested three poachers on charges of hunting peacocks and recovered eight slain birds at Vilathikulam in Thoothukudi district. Acting on a tip-off that peacocks were hunted in areas of Inasurai, Koothalurai, Kammapatti, Chennamarettypatti and Pillaiyarnatham, the District Forest Officer, Nathan, constituted a patrolling team. The team raided places in Koothalurai, Kammapatti, Chennamarettypatti and Pillaiyarnatham on Saturday night.