Indian government Thursday said it would probe the death of a pregnant elephant which had been fed pineapple filled with firecrackers in the southern state of Kerala, report Xinhua/UNB.
The wild elephant strayed into a village near Silent Valley National Park in Palakkad where it ate a pineapple filled with firecrackers. The pineapple exploded in its mouth, injuring her badly. The injured elephant walked in pain for days and ultimately succumbed inside a river on May 27.
"Central (federal) Government has taken a very serious note of the killing of an elephant in Mallapuram, Kerala. We will not leave any stone unturned to investigate properly and nab the culprit(s). This is not Indian culture to feed firecrackers and kill," Prakash Javadekar, Indian environment, forest and climate change minister, said in a brief statement Thursday.
The minister mentioned that although the death took place in Mallapuram, the elephant actually was killed in Palakkad district of Kerala.
Forest officials said the wild animal may have eaten the fruit some 20 days ago and starved since then.
The elephant was found dead in a river and her death was highlighted by a forest officer Mohan Krishnan, who put the pictures of the carcass on social media.
"When we saw her she was standing in the river, with her head dipped in the water. She had a sixth sense that she was going to die. She took the Jalasamadhi in the river in a standing position," wrote Krishnan. "She didn't harm a single human being even when she ran in searing pain in the streets of the village."
Celebrities, activists and thousands of social media users have demanded action and expressed sorrow at the elephant's death.
Known Indian industrialist Ratan Tata termed the killing of a pregnant elephant a "meditated murder", and sought justice for the animal.
"I am grieved and shocked to know that a group of people caused the death of an innocent, passive, pregnant elephant by feeding the elephant with a pineapple filled with firecrackers," Ratan Tata in a brief statement said. "Such criminal acts against innocent animals are no different than acts of meditated murder against other humans. Justice needs to prevail."
The local government of Kerala has already said a wildlife crime investigation team will probe into the brutal killing of the animal.
