A pregnant elephant has died after eating a firecracker-filled pineapple, Indian wildlife officers say.
An investigation was initiated after the elephant was found standing in water at Silent Valley Forest in Kerala on May 27.
A Kerala Forest Department spokesperson told Sky News farmers are putting fireworks inside food and planting it on the edges of their fields to keep wild boars away.
The incident came to light when forest officer Mohan Krishnan, a member of the animal rescue team, posted on Facebook.
Everybody respected her. He must have been surprised when the pineapple he ate exploded not just about herself, but about the child she was going to give birth in 18 to 20 months.
The wild elephant allegedly had wandered out of the Silent Valley National Park (SVNP) in Palakkad, in search of food, according to forest officials.
It reached the Malappuram bordering area, where the animal allegedly bit in a fruit stuffed with firecrackers. She was grievously wounded, and her upper and lower jaws and tongue were mangled.
She later stood upright in a river to soothe her agony before dying.
The elephant was taken back into a truck inside the forest, where she was cremated by forest officials. A team from the Department of Kerala Forests is investigating and people are being questioned. Many on social media have condemned the incident, and a petition has begun calling for justice. There were also several artworks made as a tribute to the elephant and her son.
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According to The News Minute, the international animal rights organisation, World Animal Protection, has written demanding action to the state authorities.
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