Twitter mourns death of pregnant jumbo which ate firecracker-rigged fruit

The death of a pregnant elephant in Kerala, after it was fed a firecracker-rigged pineapple by miscreants, has sparked a huge outrage on Twitter and other social media channels. The elephant who was unaware of the danger inside the fruit died after the firecrackers exploded in her mouth.

According to forest officials, the wild elephant had left the forests of the Silent Valley in Palakkad district and wandered into the nearby village in search of food where she found the pineapple. The explosion left her in searing pain as she was unable to eat or walk properly, because of her injuries. The elephant eventually died standing in a river.

The heartbreaking incident has gripped social media, with thousands of people, including animal activists, calling for strong action against the perpetrators. On Twitter, many people also shared illustrations and sketches as a gesture to apologise for this heinous act of animal cruelty.

Pineapples filled with country-made crackers are usually used by locals to protect their fields and farm produce against wild boars. However, the police has launched an investigation into the matter and a first information report (FIR) has been filed aginst unknown person. No arrests have been made so far.