A 15-year-old pregnant elephant killed in Kerala, India after biting into a pineapple filled with firecrackers has sparked growing outrage in India and beyond.

Calls for retribution to hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice has also snowballed following widespread coverage of the incident around the world that has shocked and angered people at the extent of animal cruelty carried out by humans.

A case has been filed against unknown offenders and a search is underway to locate them in Kerala.

According to forest officials, the wild elephant had allegedly wandered out of the Silent Valley National Park (SVNP) in Palakkad, in search of food.

It reached the bordering area in Malappuram, where the animal allegedly bit into a fruit stuffed with firecrackers.

She was grievously injured, with her upper and lower jaws, as well as her tongue, mangled.

She subsequently stood in a river to soothe her agony before dying upright.

Reward for information

The international animal welfare charity, World Animal Protection, has written to the state authorities calling for action.

“Elephants are India’s heritage animals and they deserve to be treated with care and dignity. Such acts of violence and torture against these sentient creatures is another example that proves wild animals belong in the wild,” the statement added.

The Humane Society International, India has offered a reward of up to Rs 50,000 (S$926) for information about the perpetrators and their arrest and conviction.

Local villagers are known to often use pineapples stuffed with firecrackers as bait for wild boars.

Some news reports in India have said the act of harming the elephant might not have been on purpose as traps are used indiscriminately on any animal that crosses paths with it.

The incident prompted widespread outrage in Kerala, which features two elephants in its official state emblem.

Politicians and celebrities beyond the state have also joined in to condemn the killing.

Politicians and celebrities speak out

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said on Twitter that the Kerala state government must bring the perpetrators to justice to preserve its reputation for protecting nature.

Bollywood celebrities including Anushka Sharma, Randeep Hooda and Alia Bhatt took to social media to demand justice for the elephant and called for stricter laws against animal cruelty.

It has also led to calls to end the domesticating of wild elephants, given the cruel and inadequate conditions of raising and training them in captivity, which deprive elephants of their natural growth.

A petition has also been started calling for harsh punishment to be meted out to the perpetrators.

Artwork tributes

Many artworks have also been created as tribute to the elephant and her baby.

Literacy rate doesn't reflect education. #Elephant pic.twitter.com/r4gLkzaQaQ

— Haimanti (@theinkedletters) June 3, 2020

How cruel a human being can be, here is an example..#Elephant #ShameOnHumanity 💔 pic.twitter.com/yBKdXPgqXi

— Naman Chhajed (@nmnchhajed) June 3, 2020

As a human iam sorry#Elephant pic.twitter.com/tm2aECzHCS

— karan acharya (@karanacharya7) June 3, 2020

https://twitter.com/SaeedNooree/status/1268158502012424195

Pregnant elephant dies after eating cracker-stuffed pineapple! @sifydotcom cartoon pic.twitter.com/0CAtISh7AH

— Satish Acharya (@satishacharya) June 3, 2020