03/07/2025
■ Kerala Seeks Wildlife Law Amendment to Manage Human-Wildlife Conflict -
✅Kerala has approached the Union government seeking amnendments to the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, aiming to legally permit the selective killing of wild animals that pose a direct threat to human life or property.
✅Wildlife attacks have become a significant issue in the state, w
273 out of 94] village panchayas
identified as conflict hotspots. Problematic species include tigers, leopards, elephants, bison, wild boars, bonnet macaques, and Peafowls.
✅Although some, like bonnet
macaques and peafowls, are not
directly dangerous, they frecquently damage crops, prompting farmers to abandon cultivation.
● Human Casualties and Impact:
✅Between 2016-17 and January 31 2024, wildlife attacks in Kerala resulted in 919 human deaths and injuries to 8,967 individuals. This rising toll has intensified public pressure on the state to find practical solutions.
✅In addition to human casualties, agricultural losses due to wild animal raids have affected rural livelihoods.
● Causes Behind the Conflict:
✅Multiple ecological and
anthropogenic factors have
contributed to increased
human-wildlife encounters.
✅These include habitat degradation, population growth among certain wildlife species like monkeys and wild pigs, deforestation, changes in cropping patterns, and the
Encroachment of domestic cattle into forest areas. These dynamics force animals to stray into huan settlemnents in search of food.
● Legal Constraints Under the Current Act:
✅The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 particularly its provisions related to animals under Schedule l, poses challenges in responding quickly to conflict situations. Under the law, animals that threaten human
life can only be killed if it is proven that they cannot be captured, tranguilized, or relocated. Such animals also cannot be confin after capture.
✅Additionally, authorities must
adhere to advisories from the
National Tiger Conservation
Authority and Project Elephant
Scheme. Although district
collectors can order the removal
of public nuisances, court
directives have restricted their
powers in the context of wild
animals.
● Kerala's Proposal for Legal Flexibility:
✅Kerala's Forest Minister
emphasized that the state is not
advocating for indiscriminate
killing of wild animals. Instead,
it seeks limited, region- and
season-specific permissions to
Cull animals that pose serious
threats.
✅He cited the failure of preventive measures such as fencing and the ineffectiveness of the current wild boar control system, which requires impractical checks like verifying pregnancy status before culling. The minister argued that such constraints hinder timely and effective action against crop-raiding and dangerous
animals.
● Demand for Reclassification of Certain Species:
✅The state is urging the Centre to declare wild boars as 'vermin'
under Section 62 of the Wildlife Act for a limited duration, allowing for easier control of their population.
✅Additionally, Kerala wants the
bonnet macaque removed
from Schedule | of the Act. This
monkey species was upgraded
to Schedule I in 2022, limiting the state's ability to respond to its growing nuisance. Prior to this change, the chief wildlife warden could independently authorize the capture and relocation of aggressive macaques.
● Conclusion:
✅Kerala's demand for amending the Wildlife Protection Act reflects a growing tension between wildlife conservation and human safe.
✅While conservation remains vital the state argues for practical region-specific legal provisions that enable it to act decisively in situations where human life and Livelihoods are endangered.
SOURCE - THE HINDU
