Let's treat our animals with love and bring an end to these cowardly acts: Virat Kohli on pregnant elephant's death

India skipper Virat Kohli, on Wednesday, said he was 'appalled' after hearing about the death of a pregnant elephant in Mallapuram, Kerala who ate cracker-stuffed pineapple allegedly given by a local.

Kohli appealed to treat animals with love and urged to stop violence against them. "Appalled to hear about what happened in Kerala. Let's treat our animals with love and bring an end to these cowardly acts," he tweeted.

Chhetri questions 'evolved species' tag of humans

India football skipper Sunil Chhetri asked how humans can term themselves as an evolved species after doing what they did to a pregnant elephant in Mallapuram, Kerala.

"She was a harmless, pregnant Elephant. That makes the people who did what they did, monsters and I hope so hard that they pay a price. We keep failing nature over and over again. Remind me how we're the more evolved species," Chhetri tweeted.

India wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant expressed his anger too and demanded severe punishment for the accused. "Heartbroken, speechless, angry & shocked to read the news about the pregnant elephant in Kerala. How can anyone be so cruel. Hope the guilty are punished severely," Pant tweeted.

The elephant had died on May 27 after she ate the pineapple stuffed with crackers and forest officials said that she died standing in river Velliyar after it suffered an injury in its lower jaw.

The elephant was seen standing in the river with her mouth and trunk in the water for some relief from the pain after the fruit exploded in her mouth.

Mannarkkad forest range officer on Wednesday said that a FIR has been lodged against unidentified people under relevant sections of Wild Life Protection Act over the incident. 

Following this incident, former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi termed the death of a pregnant elephant in Kerala after she ate cracker-stuffed pineapple allegedly given by a local as "murder" and said Malappuram was the "most violent district" in the country.

"It is not an incident. It is a murder. A pregnant elephant was fed a pineapple filled with a bomb that exploded its mouth. Malappuram is very famous for incidents like this. It is the most violent district in the whole of India," Maneka Gandhi said.