Another elephant in India may have died from consuming crackers: report

As the death of a pregnant elephant who died after consuming explosive-filled pineapples in Kerala, India, continued to draw outrage on social media, it emerged that another may have died in similar circumstances.

The elephant suffered jaw fractures that "could have been through something it consumed," but it is not confirmed, the post-mortem report revealed. However, forest officials stated that a chemical analysis report is awaited, NDTV reported.

A young female elephant reportedly died in April in a similar manner in the forests in Kollam district.

"We suspect it to be crackers," a senior forest official said.

The animal was found in a poor condition near a stream in the Pathanapuram forests. Forest officials said that the female elephant was very weak hence they could not tranquilise her.

"We did try to give her some medication but she moved away a few kilometres. The next day, she had collapsed," lamented one of the forest officials.

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This is the second incident when an animal has fallen prey to firecrackers in India in recent times. Social media was up in arms after the pregnant wild elephant from Silent Valley died from eating a pineapple filled with firecrackers.

After the fruit exploded in her mouth, the elephant walked for days in pain before she went into a river and died standing there on May 27.

Photos, that took social media by storm, showed the elephant standing in the river with her mouth and trunk in the water, perhaps for some relief from the unbearable pain. She died in that position.

Following the brutal incident, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said strict action would be taken against those responsible for the elephant's death. "The forest department is probing the case and the culprits will be brought to book," he maintained.