In a shocking incident, a pregnant elephant died after she was fed with firecracker-filled pineapple. The firecrackers exploded in her mouth that eventually led to her death.
The heartbreaking incident took place near the border of Palakkad and Malappuram districts on May 27. The elephant was found dead standing in river Velliyar. According to forest officials, the elephant may have fallen into the trap set by locals to catch the wild boar.
Her lower jaw was severely injured in the firecracker blast. The elephant was starving due to the injury caused to her tongue and mouth. She is said to have consumed only a few drops of water before the death.
“We spotted the elephant for the first time on May 23. She was roaming around in the private area of the forest. When an official went to saw the elephant, he found that the wound in the lower jaw area was exposed. Later, for at least 24 hours the animal was searching for water. On May 24, we received information that the animal is standing in river Velliyar,” Wildlife Officer of Silent Valley National Park said.
The issue came to light when forest officer Mohan Krishnan shared the news on Facebook. He said that she was standing in the river with her head dipped in water. “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,” he wrote on Facebook.
