After the shocking case of animal cruelty in which a pregnant elephant had died after some locals fed her cracker-filled pineapple which later exploded in her mouth came to the fore, a similar case in Kollam district, where a young female elephant died of injuries in her mouth, has come to light.
News agency PTI quoted a top forest officer as saying that another female elephant had met with a similar fate in April in Pathanapuram forest range area under Punalur division in Kollam district, Kerala.
The officer confirmed that in the month of April the official of the forest department had found a female elephant in a serious condition from the fringe areas of the forests in Pathanapuram. “The pachyderm was found alienated from the herd of elephants. Its jaw was broken and it was unable to eat,” the senior officer told PTI.
“It was very weak. When the forest officials approached, the female elephant ran into the forest and joined the herd of elephants waiting there. But the next day, the elephant was again found alienated from its herd. Proper treatment was given, but unfortunately, it succumbed to its wounds,” he said.
Another official said an investigation has been launched into the incident.
“It is suspected that the elephant bit a food item filled with crackers and it exploded in her mouth. We are waiting for the postmortem report,” the officer, who did not wish to be identified, said.
Pregnant elephant died after eating cracker-filled pineapple in Kerala
We reported today how a pregnant elephant had died on May 27 after some locals fed her cracker-filled pineapple which later exploded in her mouth. The incident took place in Malappuram district of Kerala when the elephant had wandered into a village in search of food. However, some villagers stuffed pineapples filled with firecrackers on her tusks while she was walking on the streets.
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 which exploded in her mouth. The issue came to light when forest officer Mohan Krishnan shared about it on social media. He said that she was standing in the river with her head dipped in water.
As reported by news agency ANI, Mannarkkad forest range officer has said that an FIR under relevant sections of the Wild Life Protection Act has been registered.