04/06/2020
The pregnant wild elephant in Silent Valley was unable to eat after she chewed the pineapple filled with crackers and it exploded in her mouth. ... He said the elephant died at Velliyar River in Malappuram district on May 27. "I have directed the forest officials to nab the culprit.
Forest officials opined that investigation into such cases was very tough.
"It is very difficult to gather information in such incidents. Locating the place where they meet with such fate is not easy as the herd of wild elephants travels several kilometers a day. The incident comes to the notice of forest officials after the ill fated elephants are found alienated from their herds. That too weeks later. This makes the probe tough," he said.
Meanwhile, Kerala Forest Minister K Raju told PTI that he has sought report from the top wildlife officials about the incidents of elephant deaths.
The pregnant wild elephant in Silent Valley was unable to eat after she chewed the pineapple filled with crackers and it exploded in her mouth.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden Surendrakumar said the incident was reported from the fringe areas of the Silent Valley in Attappadi.
He said the elephant died at Velliyar River in Malappuram district on May 27.
"I have directed the forest officials to nab the culprit. We will punish him for 'hunting' the elephant," Surendrakumar told PTI.
The issue of the pachyderm's tragic death in Silent Valley came to light after Mohan Krishnan, a forest officer, posted an emotional note on his page, narrating the death of the elephant in the waters of the Velliyar River.
"When we saw her she was standing in the river, with her head dipped in the water. She had a sixth sense that she was going to die. She took the Jalasamadhi in the river in a standing position," Krishnan, who was deputed to bring the elephant back to the shore, wrote.
