Malappuram (Kerala): A pregnant wild elephant met the cruellest of fates last Wednesday when she died after she was fed a pineapple loaded with firecrackers.
As per a report by NDTV, the incident came to light after a Malappuram forest officer detailed the events on Facebook.
It is said that the wild elephant had wandered into a village that was close to the forest in search of food. The locals offered a pineapple filled with firecrackers to the pregnant elephant when she was walking along the streets.
Posting photos of the elephant, Mohan Krishnan, the forest officer who was part of the Rapid Response Team to rescue the elephant, wrote, “She trusted everyone. When the pineapple she ate exploded, she must have been shocked thinking not about herself, but about the child she was to give birth to in 18 to 20 months.”
The explosion reportedly severely damaged the elephant’s tongue and mouth. She roamed about the village in searing pain and hunger and finally walked into the Velliyar River where she finally died while standing.
“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,” the officer wrote in Malayalam.
The elephant was seen standing in the river with its mouth and trunk submerged in the water, probably to relieve some of the pain. According to the forest officer, the pregnant animal might have done this to avoid flies and other insects.
Elaborating about the rescue operation, the officer said that two captive elephants were brought to lead her out of the river, but she did not allow them to do anything, as if she had a “sixth sense” about her fate.
After hours and numerous attempts by the forest officials, the elephant died on May 27 at 4 pm after which she was taken back into the forest in a truck and cremated.
