Chennai, June 9 (IANS): 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.