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Elephants Dying Mysteriously in Kerala: 40 Dead Since May
30 Oct
Summary
- 40 wild elephants died between May and October 2026, with eight deaths under suspicious circumstances.
- Cracker-stuffed food and poisoning are suspected causes of unnatural elephant deaths.
- Authorities struggle to identify and apprehend those responsible for the animals' demise.
In Kerala, a troubling series of events has led to the deaths of 40 wild elephants between May and October 2026. Eight of these fatalities are being investigated as suspicious, with potential causes including poaching, poisoning by locals, or the horrific practice of feeding elephants fruits stuffed with firecrackers. Forest officials acknowledge the difficulty in apprehending culprits, though arrests have been made in some poaching cases, with tusks seized indicating elephants hunted years prior.
The use of mild detonators and urea as bait are also cited as methods to kill wild animals, including elephants. Urea, a fast-disintegrating substance, is challenging to detect in autopsies and is often applied in remote estate areas. These human-induced deaths, encompassing poaching and poisoning, have resulted in 84 wild elephant fatalities between 2019 and August 2025, underscoring a significant and ongoing conflict between human activities and wildlife preservation efforts.
