Chennai Tamil Nadu Forest Department has arrested 12 gypsies for killing a jackal in a Trichy village by packing explosives in meat and blowing up its mouth when it took a bite, said an official.
"The 12 men had gone to collect honey in a village and found a jackal roaming around. In order to hunt it for its meat and its teeth, the gypsies had packed explosives inside meat pieces and strewn at several places that the jackal frequents," a forest department official told IANS over phone from Tiruchirappalli or Trichy as it's known.
"The bombs are similar to what is called 'onion bomb' that are burst during Diwali. The explosive chemicals are packed and when pressure is applied it will burst," he said.
He said when the animal bites the meat, the bomb will explode ripping its jaws apart.
Recently in Kerala a pregnant elephant was killed when it ate a fruit packed with explosives.
According to the forest official, the gypsies had killed the jackal at night and they were having tea at a tea stall in the morning. The jackal was in their bag.
A police constable attached to Jeeyapuram station questioned the gypsies and on checking their bag he found the dead jackal.
An official of Jeeyapuram police station told IANS that after inqury, the gypsies were handed over to the forest department officials.
Authorities on Monday arrested twelve people in Tamil Nadu, India after a  died trying to eat a bomb embedded in meat that subsequently exploded. Jackals are protected in India.
File photo of a jackal.
Officials said a police constable, reportedly one Vijayaragavan, saw the twelve with the dead jackal in , decided to question them after they aroused suspicion at a tea stall, and learned they were responsible for the jackal's death.  The forestry department arrested them.  According to local news sources, the constable found the jackal's bagged carcass after inquiring.

The suspects range in age from 21 to 78 and were identified as  from the village of Poolangudi.  They were taken into the custody of the forestry department. Authorities said the killing occurred in  forest in a bid to gain jackal meat and teeth.

The  lists jackals as a protected species. India's jackals face attention from poachers, who sell the parts. One study in the '''' from March noted authorities seized 126 skins, eight tails, 16 skulls and two live jackals from 2013 to 2019. The same study also noted over 370 "jackal horns" seized in the same period. Jackal horns are crafted from skulls of jackals and are considered .

Last week, in the neighbouring state of Kerala, one suspect was arrested in connection with the death of a pregnant female elephant suffering from explosive injuries.  Authorities said they believed a fruit filled with firecrackers had exploded in the elephant's mouth, damaging her jaw and ultimately leading to her death.