Today, Kerala’s Forest Minister has confirmed that a man has been arrested for alleged involvement in the killing of a wild pregnant elephant. Yesterday, Chief Minister of the state Pinarayi Vijayan said that three suspects have been identified. He promised, “Justice will prevail”.
Palakkad district Police Chief, G Siva Vikram said: “The arrested man is a rubber tapper. A search is on for others.” The arrested man is in his forties. It is believed that he handled the explosives and assisted others.
The elephant was fed a pineapple filled with firecrackers which exploded in her mouth and caused an injury in her mouth. The creature suffered in pain for days before it stood still in the river and died. Villagers of the region often use such tactics to protect their fields from wild animals.
