The veteran Indian opener, Rohit Sharma reacted sharply to the killing of a pregnant elephant in Kerala, saying no animal deserves to be treated with cruelty. The news of the elephant dying after chewing a pineapple filled with an explosive fed to her in Malappuram has triggered a massive outcry across the country. With cartoonists poking the conscience of people, several on social media have condemned the act of human cruelty.

Rohit, who has been leading campaigns in association with the World Wildlife Fund to bring awareness about animal conservation in the country, said he felt heartbroken by the death of the elephant in Kerala. Tweeting about the same, he wrote: “We are savages. Are we not learning? To hear what happened to the elephant in Kerala was heartbreaking. No animal deserves to be treated with cruelty.”

The pineapple exploded in the elephant’s mouth when she chomped on it, a senior forest officer in Kerala had said. The elephant’s jaw was find broken in her post-mortem and she was unable to eat after she chewed the pineapple. The injured animal stood in Velliyar River where id died on May 27. The forest officer said post mortem revealed that the elephant was pregnant.

ALSO READ: Shikhar Dhawan Gets A Lockdown Make-over From Zoravar

Earlier on Wednesday, The Indian skipper, Virat Kohli said it’s high time humans put an end to the ‘cowardly acts’ while sharing a cartoon of a pregnant elephant. He tweeted: “Appalled to hear about what happened in Kerala. Let’s treat our animals with love and bring an end to these cowardly acts.”

India football team captain Sunil Chhetri also reacted sharply to the killing of the elephant, questioning the evolution of human beings. He tweeted: “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?”

The incident has sparked outrage on Twitter with even Kohli’s wife Anushka Sharma reacting to the news. She also demanded stricter laws against animal cruelty in her post.

See more

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has assured that strict action will be taken against those responsible for the killing the 15-year-old pregnant elephant.

ALSO READ: Irfan Pathan Recalled When Sourav Ganguly Didn’t Support Him

Vijayan said, “Strict action will be taken against those who are responsible for killing the pregnant elephant. Forest department is probing the case and the culprits will be brought to book.”