Man’s cruelty knows no bounds. Sighting a recent instance, a firecracker-filled pineapple has killed a pregnant elephant in Kerala, which was allegedly placed by some heartless locals. The fruit exploded in the wild animal’s body and led to its death. The details of this horrific incident were narrated by a forest officer on social media.
Onlookers on the banks of Velliyar River in Palakkad district witnessing the dead pregnant elephant | Image: AFP
Apparently, the elephant left the forests of Silent Valley in Palakkad District and was wandering in a nearby village in search of food. According to the officials, the animal is suspected to have consumed a pineapple.
Evidently, pineapples filled with local crackers are usually used by local people to protect their fields from the wild boars. So, it could have been the case that it was not specifically placed to harm the wild elephant in any way.
Be that as it may, it still is cruel to use explosives hidden inside fruits and other eatables to keep the wild animals away from the fields. And sure, there are many other ways to keep the animals from destroying the fields. But if humans have to resort to violence, what can be said?
The environment ministry later said that the elephant ate the fruit accidentally, and that it was actually meant for wild boars, who have been declared “vermin” in the state.
Animal rights activist Gauri Maulekhi said,
The point is that these incidents are not one-off cases. That is why so much attention on one case like in Kerala can be counter-productive…Snaring of animals, using bomb-baits and poison-baits, and declaring them vermin is an inherently cruel practice, which is rampant across India. You will invariably have elephants and tigers die if you are killing wild boars and nilgais by calling them vermin…One cannot protect wildlife selectively.
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She trusted everyone. When the pineapple she ate exploded, she must have been shocked not thinking about herself, but about the child she was going to give birth to in 18 to 20 months.
Forest officer Mohan Krishnan, who was part of the Rapid Response Team to rescue the elephant, wrote on Facebook.
As the pregnant elephant tried to eat the fruit, the cracker inside it exploded in its mouth, badly injuring its tongue and mouth. Afterward, the poor animal walked around in the village, in intense pain and hunger. The elephant couldn’t eat anything due to its injuries.
She didn’t harm a single human being even when she ran in searing pain in the streets of the village. She didn’t crush a single home. This is why I said, she is full of goodness.
Mr. Krishnan wrote in an emotional note in Malayalam, while sharing photos of the elephant.
Eventually, it walked up to the Velliyar River and stood in the water, perhaps in hopes to relieve the searing pain through its mouth and trunk. Or perhaps to avoid flies and other insects on the injuries.
Firecracker-filled pineapple killed a pregnant elephant in Kerala | Image: Facebook @mohan.krishnan.1426
Two captive elephants were brought by the forest officials to lure the injured elephant out of the water. But it didn’t budge. Sadly, after hours of efforts by the officials to save the elephant, it died at 4 pm on May 27, while standing in water.
The elephant was taken back inside the forest in a truck, where it was cremated by the forest officials.
She needs to be given the farewell she deserves. For that, we took her inside the forest in a lorry. She lay there on firewood, in the land she played and grew up. The doctor who did her post-mortem told me that she was not alone. I could sense his sadness though the expression on his face was not visible due to his mask. We cremated her in a pyre there. We bowed before her and paid our last respects.
the forest officer said.
The news has stirred rage and sadness amongst people.
Many artworks have displayed the anger and sorrow over this inhumane act of brutality in the state of Kerala, which holds the record of the highest literacy rate in the country. There is actually a huge difference between being literate and educated.
According to Mannarkkad forest range officer has revealed that an FIR has been filed against unidentified people under relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act over the incident.
In a tragic incident in Palakkad district, a pregnant elephant has lost its life. Many of you have reached out to us. We want to assure you that your concerns will not go in vain.
said Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala Chief Minister.
He added that an investigation is underway, centered around three suspects and assured that they’ll do everything possible to bring the culprits to justice.
Mr Vijayan tweeted.
Industrialist Ratan Tata tweeted calling the killing of a pregnant elephant in Kerala a ‘meditated murder,’ and sought justice for the animal.
More than 1,000 petitions have been filed on Change.org supported by over 10 lakh people in less than a day, demanding strict action against the unidentified culprits of this incident in which a firecracker-filled pineapple killed the pregnant elephant.
Even as mankind stands helpless in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, the inhumane act of animal brutality makes it quite apparent that the humanity inside us all is certainly dying.
Update (June 5, 2020):
Regrading the death of pregnant elephant, a man has been arrested in Kerala for his alleged involvement in the firecracker-filled pineapple incident that killed the animal, while many others are being questions. The man was arrest after the joint investigation of police and forest departments in connection with the case.
The post-mortem report has confirmed that the pregnant elephant indeed had suffered major wounds in its oral cavity, likely the result of a firecracker burst in its mouth. However, the actual cause of the death was drowning as per the post-mortem report.
Due to its wounds the pregnant elephant could not eat for more than of two weeks, and collapsed out of exhaustion in the Velliyar river in Malappuram district, where it drowned.