Kollam: A wild elephant was allegedly found dead in Pathanapuram by the forest department on April 11. Investigation revealed that the elephant died after eating a pineapple that was filled with explosives.
The hunt for the poachers began and caught three people who are Karavur natives Ranjith, Animon and Sarath.
Locals found the elephant in the locality with severe wounds in its mouth. Initially the authorities believed that the wound was caused by a piece of wood. However, the post-mortem report mentioned a suspicion that the elephant succumbed due to explosives.
This led to a detailed investigation and all the three accused are poachers, according to authorities.
This is the second such incident after a pregnant elephant allegedly died in the same fashion near Palakkad forest area.