Pregnant elephant dies after eating fruit containing firecracker

KOCHI: A pregnant elephant died in India apparently after eating some fruit containing a firecracker that exploded in her mouth, country’s forestry officials informed.

According to details, the incident prompted a criminal investigation into suspected cruelty towards animals.  

The incident drew outrage on social media after a forestry officer, Mohan Krishnan, posted an emotional apology to the elephant on May 30 in which he said the animal died from eating a fruit stuffed with a firecracker.

Mohan Krishnan said, “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.”

“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,” Krishnan added.

According to a Forestry official, the incident happened on May 23 in the Palakkad district of Kerala state, where locals sometimes scatter fruit spiked with firecrackers to discourage animals from damaging crops.

The official further said, “We only know that the injury (to the elephant) was caused by some explosive substance,” adding, “The perpetrators could face animal cruelty charges that could bring fines or even a jail term.”

India has the world’s largest population of the Asiatic elephant but they are classified as an endangered species.