Pregnant Elephant Fed Pineapple Stuffed with Crackers in Kerela dies in the river

The wild elephant had left the forest, meandering into a nearby village in Kerela’s Malappuram in search if food. As she walked on the streets, she was offered the cracker-laden pineapple by locals. So powerful was the cracker explosion in her mouth that her tongue and mouth were badly injured. The elephant walked around in the village, in searing pain and in hunger. She didn’t harm a single human being when she ran in pain in the streets of the village. The elephant eventually walked up to the Velliyar river and stood there with her mouth and trunk in the river, perhaps for some relief from the unbearable pain. After hours of attempts by the forest officials to rescue the elephant, she died at 4 pm. The elephant was taken in a truck inside the forest where she was cremated.

A case has been registered against unidentified persons under Secs 9 & 51 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Forest dept is hopeful of nabbing the culprits soon.