Five men arrested in Kerala for killing pregnant Buffalo, 25 kilograms of meat seized

In yet another incident of animal cruelty reported from Kerala, five men allegedly hunted down a pregnant wild buffalo in Malappuram district.

The incident comes just two months after the tragic death of a pregnant elephant in Mannarkad forest range in Palakkad district.

The state forest department has now arrested five persons in connection with the buffalo's killing. The accused have been identified as Pullara Abu aka Nanippa (47), Muhammed Busthan (30), Muhammed Ansif (23), Ashiq (27) and Suhail (28).

The forest officers found buffalo meat from the house of one of the accused during a raid held at night on August 10.

The probe revealed that the accused hunted the wild buffalo at Puncha forest in Chakkikuzhi forest station limits under Kalikavu range of Nilambur south forest division.

The forest officials seized about 25 kilograms of meat. It is assumed that there was around 200 kilograms of meat in total. The accused abandoned two skulls and other remains in different parts of the forest.

The probe is focusing on whether more people were involved in the crime. The accused were produced in the court in Malappuram on Wednesday.

On June 3, a 15-year-old pregnant elephant died after she consumed a pineapple stuffed with firecrackers in the Silent Valley Forest area causing severe oral injuries to the jumbo eventually leading to her death. The jumbo's death caused widespread outrage prompting the government to initiate a high level prove to hunt done the culprits.