In a horrifying incident, a 40-year-old elephant in Tamil Nadu died after being subjected to cruelty at the hands of men who set him on fire. According to reports, they threw a burning piece of tyre to chase the elephant away, which got stuck in his ear and he ran away in distress. 

The incident took place in Masinagudi in the Nilgiris. After the elephant ran away, he was found by the forest rangers with severe burn injuries on the back and ear. 

Sadly, the elephant succumbed to his injuries while being transported to a medical facility for treatment to the Theppakadu elephant camp. According to the Senior official of the Masinagudi Tiger Reserve, three men identified as Prasath, Raymond Dean and Ricky Raya are responsible for the incident. While two have been nabbed, the third man is yet to be caught. 

video of the incident went viral and people demand that these perpetrators be met with strict action.

Warning: Graphic Content. 

video of the incident went viral and people demand that these perpetrators be met with strict action.

Warning: Graphic Content. 

Cases of animal cruelty in India in the recent past have left us shaken. From a kitten being burned alive in Hyderabad to a man raping a cow at a dairy in Sundar Nagar, Madhya Pradesh and a pineapple stuffed with crackers being fed to a pregnant elephant in Kerala. These shocking stories are gruesome and stark reminders for us to take animal rights seriously.