Forest officials on Wednesday arrested three persons in connection with the death of a 10-year-old elephant in the Ambanad forest region near Pathanapuram in April.
The elephant had consumed a cracker-filled fruit, a method adopted by many farmers in the area to protect their crops from wild boars. Though it was thought to be a farmer's trap at first, later country guns and explosives were seized from the accused. Reportedly, they are part of a poaching ring and the department suspects the involvement of more persons.
“The elephant had severe injuries in its mouth and we found it in a very critical condition. Despite our efforts, we couldn't save the animal,” said an official.
When a similar incident in Palakkad came to light creating a huge controversy, the department received some tip-off, following which they raided the house of the accused. The authorities found deer meat and python oil at the place and currently the investigation team is collecting details of others who are part of the illegal trade, including the customers.
“Usually it is farmers who set such traps, but this time it was different. They have been hunting wild animals for a while, selling the meat and other products. Currently, we are on the lookout for three more members of the gang,” he said.
