Kerala forest department moots capturing wild boars

In the last ten year 1,048 persons were killed in Kerala in man-animal conflicts

In a bid to curb the wild boar menace faced by farmers as well as to enhance prey population for tigers, the Kerala Forest Department has mooted capturing wild boars and leaving them at forest areas where tigers are present.

A project report on steps to prevent man-animal conflict in the state that was submitted by the Kerala forest department to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday made this proposal among many other proposals.

Use of drones to chase away wild animals, setting up of monkey shelters, planting fruit-bearing trees inside forests, making use of dogs trained to chase away wild boars and ensuring water availability inside the forest by enhancing the water holes and setting up of brushwood check dams were among the other proposals in the project report.

Man-animal conflicts in Kerala has been aggravating over the years and the incidents of wild boar attacks were one of the major issues faced by farmers near forest areas. Tigers entering human settlements in search of prey were also being widely reported in the state.

In the last ten years, 1,048 persons were killed in Kerala in man-animal conflicts. The state government was also pressing for declaring wild boars as vermin so as to initiate culling. Many farmers were given permission to kill wild boars and there were even reports that in the last few months over 500 wild boars were killed across the state.

As per 2011 enumeration the wild boar population in Kerala was 48,043, which has now increased manifold, forest department sources said.

It was in such a context that the forest department suggested that wild boars shall be captured using cages and be left at forest areas where tigers are present. It could not only curb the wild boar menace but could also address the prey population issue which was one key reason why tigers often enter human settlements.

A forest department official said that only a set of proposals to curb man-animal conflicts were submitted to the government and it would be implemented only after receiving a government nod.

Owing to the wild boar menace farmers used to adopt crude methods like using explosives-filled fruits to kill wild boars. The state had also witnessed instances of wild elephants falling to such traps and even suffering fatal injuries. The illegal sale of wild boar meat was also quite rampant in the state.

Measures like planting fruit-bearing plants inside forests and enhancing the water resources inside forest areas were mooted as wild animals were found to be entering human habitats owing to the unavailability of food and water inside forests. Changes in patterns of cultivation near forest areas were also suggested in the project report.

Many parts of the state were facing monkey menace and hence the forest department suggested that monkey shelters shall be set up in the state to keep 'trouble-making' monkeys apart from measures like sterilisation.

The forest department also suggested that drones could be used for tracing the movement of wild animals to human habitats as well as to chase away using sound.

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