Authors
Sabloo Thomas has worked as a special correspondent with the Deccan Chronicle from 2011 to December 2019. Post-Deccan Chronicle, he freelanced for various websites and worked in the capacity of a translator as well (English to Malayalam and Malayalam to English). He’s also worked with the New Indian Express as a reporter, senior reporter, and principal correspondent. He joined Express in 2001.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
Malappuram Village where pregnant elephant was “fed” explosive laden pineapple was completely destroyed in landslide.
Fact
False. Landslides occurred in Wayanad, not Malappuram. The Pregnant elephant died in Mannarkkad forest in Palakkad district and not in Malappuram.
In the backdrop of devastating landslides that claimed over 370 lives in Wayanad, several social media users claimed that a village named Malappuram, where a pregnant elephant died after consuming a bomb laden pineapple, was completely destroyed in landslides.Several people shared the claim on Facebook and X , stating, “ Remember? About the elephant in Kerala! Some people of the village fed the pregnant elephant with a bomb inside the pineapple. The name of that village is “Mallapuram”. This time the village was completely destroyed in the landslide. Understand nature’s punishments, justice, cycles as you wish. right in front of you.”
Such posts can be seen here, here and here.
Also Read:2022 Visuals Of Sri Lankan Protesters At President’s Residence Falsely Shared As Bangladesh
Fact Check/Verification
Over 370 people were dead and several others injured after landslides hit multiple areas of Wayanad district during the early hours on July 30. Places affected by the landslide included Meppadi, Mundakkai and Chooralmala town. However, there were no media reports of landslides affecting Malappuram district. We scanned through the pages of Malappuram collector and Kerala State Disaster Management Authority which did not give any indications of landslides in Malappuram.
We then did a keyword search on reports of the pregnant elephant dying after being fed with a bomb inside the pineapple. We found that NDTV had reported in June 2020 that the elephant died in Malappuram after she consumed a cracker-laden pineapple by locals. However, they later updated their article saying that the incident happened in Palakkad. The author of the report Shylaja Verma on June 4, 2020 made a clarification through an X post that she got the district’s name wrong.
On June 4, 2020, the Kerala Forest Department also put out an X post stating that the media reports claiming the pregnant elephant died in Malappuram are incorrect and the incident actually took place in Palakkad.
As per the X Post by ANI, the then Kerala Forest Minister K Raju on June 4,2020 also clarified that the incident happened in Palakkad not in Malappuram.
Moreover, reports suggest that the pineapple filled with firecrackers were used by farmers to repel wild boar which destroyed their crops and was not aimed at killing the elephant.
Also Read: AI-Generated Image Of Mother And Child Viral As Real Photo From Wayanad Landslides
Conclusion
Our investigation found that the incident in which a pregnant elephant died after she was allegedly “fed” a pineapple stuffed with firecrackers happened in Mannarkkad forest in Palakkad district and not in Malappuram. Moreover, it was not Malappuram, but Wayanad which was affected by the recent landslides.
Result: False
Sources
X post by @ANI on June 4, 2020
X post by @ShylajaVarma on June 4, 2020
X post by @ForestKerala on June 4,2020
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Authors
Sabloo Thomas has worked as a special correspondent with the Deccan Chronicle from 2011 to December 2019. Post-Deccan Chronicle, he freelanced for various websites and worked in the capacity of a translator as well (English to Malayalam and Malayalam to English). He’s also worked with the New Indian Express as a reporter, senior reporter, and principal correspondent. He joined Express in 2001.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
