The murder of Kerala’s pregnant pregnant elephant in Palakkad district has sent shockwaves across India evoking angry reactions from top celebrities including industrialist Ratan Tata and popular cartoonists. Many social media users also demanded stringent actions against those responsible for feeding explosives-laden pineapple to the elephant.
Ratan Tata wrote in an emotional post, “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 fire crackers.”
Tata’s post, which he shared from his Twitter and Instagram pages, added, “Such criminal acts against innocent animals are no different than acts of meditated murder against other humans. Justice needs to prevail.”
India’s cricket captain Virat Kohli wrote, “Appalled to hear about what happened in Kerala. Let’s treat our animals with love and bring an end to these cowardly acts.”
The news of the pregnant elephant dying while standing inside the river with her head and trunk submerged in the water had stunned everyone with many questioning how one could be so cruel towards an animal. The elephant’s death also dominated the creative works of India’s top cartoonists.
Pregnant elephant dies after eating cracker-stuffed pineapple! @sifydotcom cartoon pic.twitter.com/0CAtISh7AH
— Satish Acharya (@satishacharya) June 3, 2020
I am appalled and heartbroken with what happened to the elephant in Kerela. I hope we come up with a strict laws for animal protection. pic.twitter.com/ahchQLv23H
— Tamannaah Bhatia (@tamannaahspeaks) June 3, 2020
#RIPHumanity
Pineapple filled with firecrackers killed pregnant wild elephant#JusticeForElephant pic.twitter.com/nyCoHbGxmx— mangesh dongre (@mangeshdongre11) June 3, 2020
This Earth is not only for us !! Live and Let others creatures to Live !!
God bless her soul ?#Elephant pic.twitter.com/uU7hLaF15J— Shehbaz Badesha (@ShehbazBadesha) June 3, 2020
One forest officer had brought the news of the elephant’s murder to light after he shared the photos of the animal with a long post. According to the forest officer, the doctor, who performed the post-mortem on the elephant, was in tears. It was the doctor, who had revealed that the elephant was pregnant. Krishnan said that the forest officials decided to accord her the last rites that she deserved.
The elephant was carried in a truck to the forest where she spent her childhood. The forest officer had concluded his post Malayalam by saying that he and his colleagues bowed before her to say sorry.
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has vowed to take strict action against those responsible for the elephant’s murder.