Human Cruelty: Pineapple Filled With Crackers Kills Pregnant Elephant In Kerala

HYDERABAD: A pregnant wild elephant in Kerala's Silent Valley National Park (SVNP), Palakkad, met with a tragic death after a pineapple filled with powerful crackers offered by a man exploded in her mouth when she chomped on it.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden Surendrakumar said that, "Her jaw was broken and she was unable to eat after she chewed the pineapple and it exploded in her mouth. It is certain that she was offered the pineapple filled with crackers to eliminate her".

The 15-year-old elephant died at Velliyar River, Malappuram on May 27th. Surendra Kumar said the post-mortem examination revealed that the elephant was pregnant. The incident was brought to light by Mohan Krishnan who was part of the Rapid Response Team to rescue the elephant. He posted an emotional note on his Facebook page narrating the death of the elephant.

He wrote as, "When we saw her she was standing in the river, with her head dipped in the water. She had a sixth sense that she was going to die. She took the Jalasamadhi in the river in a standing position. 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."

The elephant was cremated inside the forest and a forest official said that, "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."