From the neighbourhood cow to wild elephant - The victims of human negligence

Amidst the corona outbreak, two shocking incidents relating to animal cruelty took place one after the other. Starting from the south, a pregnant elephant in Kerala and to the north, in Himachal Pradesh, a pregnant cow became the victims of human negligence and cruelty.

PREGNANT ELEPHANT IN KERALA:

• In the Palakkad district of Kerala, the one-month pregnant elephant was found dead in the Velliyar River. The incident came to light on 27th of May 2020 through a Facebook post, by the Forest Officer.
• The initial findings were that the elephant was fed pineapple filled with cracker, but the same was later found to be false.
• The preliminary post-mortem report stated that the “cause of death was due to lung failure as the result of water filling the lungs and drowning”.However, the report also confirmed that the elephant had suffered wounds in its oral cavity following an explosive blast.
• It is a common practice among the villagers to stuff locally-made explosives into fruits or animal fat to scare away wild animals like boars, in a bid to protect their produce.
• According to the police, the elephant ate the explosive-filled coconut which resulted in deep injuries inside its mouth.

STEPS TAKEN BY AUTHORITIES:

• Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted that the investigation has started, focusing on the suspects. The Union Government have asked the state administration to look into the matter and take appropriate action.
• On June 5th 2020, police recorded the arrest of 38-year-old Wilson, a rubber tapper, and are in the lookout for the estate owner and his son who are believed to be in hiding.
• There has been speculation on the death of another elephant similarly but no confirmations have been provided by the officials yet.

PREGNANT COW IN HIMACHAL PRADESH 

• In the Jandutta area of Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh, a pregnant cow’s mouth was blown off by firecrackers wrapped in wheat flour. According to the reports, the incident took place on May 26th, 2020.
• The video showing the injuries of the cow, published by the owner, had gone viral. The owner is seeking help from authorities, demanding strict action against the perpetrator.
• The owner of the cow alleges that his neighbour fed the wheat flour ball filled with explosive for destroying his crops and had run away.

STEPS TAKEN BY AUTHORITIES:

• The police have registered a case under Section 286 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals andthe role of the main accused named by the cow’s owner and other people in the case is being investigated.
• As per the Bilsapur superintendent of police, "An Allu bomb kept inside the wheat flour ball was fed to the animal. It went off in its mouth when chewed,".

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THESE TWO INCIDENTS?

How do you think we can prevent such acts against animals?

Let us know in the comments!