Pregnant elephant dies after being fed crackers-stuffed pineapple in Kerala
The elephant stood in the river to soothe its mouth. PHOTO: Mohan Krishnan/ Facebook
Elephants are adored in Kerala, but one tragic incident in which a pregnant wild elephant died standing in water last Wednesday after she ate a pineapple filled with firecrackers offered by a hooligan has stunned and shaken animal lovers.
The heartrending incident has been brought to light on his Facebook page in his native language by Mohan Krishnan, Section Forest Officer, Nilambur, who acted as the Rapid Response Team official to rescue the elephant.
In what is considered rare, the elephant died at Velliyar River, Malappuram, on May 27, in a standing position.
The 15-year-old had stood in the river ostensibly to soothe its mouth and tongue after the powerful firecracker in the pineapple exploded.
Forest department officials have expressed amazement that the injured elephant remained calm though she was under excruciating pain and did not injure or attack anyone.
"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," Krishnan wrote in a touching tone, along with photos of the elephant.
Several hours of attempts by forest officials to rescue the elephant failed to save the victim of human brutality.
"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," Mohan Krishnan mentioned.
The post has since gone viral with several shares.
Nature's great masterpiece, an elephant; the only harmless great thing, once wrote English poet John Donne.
Donne might have hardly surmised that an innocent pregnant elephant would get to have such a taste of human brutality.
