Kerala: Pregnant Elephant couldn't eat or drink for two weeks before her death, says post-mortem report
Kerala Pregnant Elephant death: The pregnant wild elephant in Kerala, who died following firecrackers burst in her mouth appears to have had an agonising death. Apart from painful burns due to firecrackers the elephant also had to suffer starvation for weeks. Such a fate, when she was pregnant, indeed drove her towards a death no living being should endure.
In a post-mortem carried out on the pregnant elephant's body, it has come to light that she could not eat or drink anything for nearly two weeks before her death.
The post-mortem report confirms that "major" wounds and injuries were caused in the oral cavity (mouth) of the pregnant elephant as a result of the explosive blast of the firecrackers.
"This has resulted in excruciating pain and distress in the region and prevented the animal from taking food and water for nearly two weeks," said the post-mortem report.
The post-mortem report notes "drowning, followed by inhalation of water leading to lung failure" as the immediate cause of death of the female elephant.
The elephant was found dead in Velliyar river in Palakkad District of Kerala. Her jaw was broken and she sustained other injuries. As it emerged that the pregnant elephant got injured after eating a pineapple filled with firecrackers that burst in her mouth, emotions and anger poured in on social media. It is still being ascertained whether the pineapple was fed to the elephant on purpose by the locals or the elephant ate the fruit that was laid as a trap for other animals creating nuisance in the local area.
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has promised strict action against the offenders. "The forest department is probing the case and the culprits won't be spared," he said today. Vijayan also said that he was "saddened by the fact some used this tragedy to unleash a hate campaign."
