Anoosha Jamal
Leave the humanity and start following animality as a culture because animals are more benevolent and altruistic than humans.
A pregnant elephant died in the Velliyar river, Kerela on 27 May 2020. The incident went public when the forest officer posted the news on social media.
According to Mannarkkad divisional forest officer, she might have come from Silent valley in Palakkad district in search of food and devoured a Pineapple stuffed with a cracker which was placed by locals to protect the crops from wild boar. Cracker exploded in her mouth and the maimed elephant innocuously left the area and went in Velliyar river immersing her trunk and mouth in water to get some relief from pain and avoid insects and flies on the injury. The forest officials brought two elephants to rescue her but after many failed attempts, she died at 4 pm on 27 May.
After the dissemination of this news, citizens accumulatively tweeted or posted their grief for elephant on social media including many politicians and actors.
Its autopsy report states the cause of death as “Water filled condition of lungs is an indication of drowning Inhalation of water leading to respiratory failure, is the immediate cause of death of the elephant. The major and incapacitating wounds that led to localised sepsis in the oral cavity are evidences for severe traumatic injury and have most likely occurred following an explosive blast in the mouth. This has prevented the animal from taking food and water for several days and led to the severe debility and weakness.”
The pineapple was placed for wild boars and not for elephants. Is it okay to kill wild boars like this? They are also animals. They may also be pregnant. They might also get injuries like this. But who cares because after all, we are following ‘humanity’ where harming elephant with a cracker might be wrong because she was innocent but harming wild boars is right because they are destroying the crops.
