<p>Thiruvananthapuram: With man-animal conflict remaining as a burning issue in Kerala, the state forest department has invited suggestions from the public on mitigating the problem.</p><p>The forest department brought out an approach paper on mitigating man animal conflicts and asked the public to give suggestions before August 27.</p><p>As many as 273 panchayats in 75 Assembly constituencies in Kerala are facing man-animal conflict. </p>.Kerala turns to tribal wisdom to help solve human-animal conflict.<p>According to the approach paper, the loss of human lives due to man-animal conflicts in the state has been declining over the years. In 2024-25, the total deaths were 67, compared to 76, 89 and 113 in the years that preceded. In 2025-26 so far only 20 deaths were reported.</p><p>A significant drop in deaths due to snake bites was considered as a reason. This year so far there have been only six deaths in snake bites so far, while it was 34 and higher than that in the previous years. </p><p>'Sarpa' mobile app brought out by the forest department to swiftly contact snake rescuers as well as to provide awareness about snakes was found to be effective in bringing down snake bites.</p><p>From 2020 onwards, Rs 79 crore was so far given as compensations for deaths and damages caused by man-animal conflicts.</p><p>Kerala also stressed the need for declaring wild boars as vermin as well as to include bonnet macaque in scheduled II of the wild life protection act to enable culling in view of the severe menace posed by these animals.</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: With man-animal conflict remaining as a burning issue in Kerala, the state forest department has invited suggestions from the public on mitigating the problem.</p><p>The forest department brought out an approach paper on mitigating man animal conflicts and asked the public to give suggestions before August 27.</p><p>As many as 273 panchayats in 75 Assembly constituencies in Kerala are facing man-animal conflict. </p>.Kerala turns to tribal wisdom to help solve human-animal conflict.<p>According to the approach paper, the loss of human lives due to man-animal conflicts in the state has been declining over the years. In 2024-25, the total deaths were 67, compared to 76, 89 and 113 in the years that preceded. In 2025-26 so far only 20 deaths were reported.</p><p>A significant drop in deaths due to snake bites was considered as a reason. This year so far there have been only six deaths in snake bites so far, while it was 34 and higher than that in the previous years. </p><p>'Sarpa' mobile app brought out by the forest department to swiftly contact snake rescuers as well as to provide awareness about snakes was found to be effective in bringing down snake bites.</p><p>From 2020 onwards, Rs 79 crore was so far given as compensations for deaths and damages caused by man-animal conflicts.</p><p>Kerala also stressed the need for declaring wild boars as vermin as well as to include bonnet macaque in scheduled II of the wild life protection act to enable culling in view of the severe menace posed by these animals.</p>