Animal attacks in Kerala: Assembly passes resolution urging Centre to amend wildlife laws

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 14 (PTI) In the wake of increasing incidents of human-animal conflict in the state, the Kerala Assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to amend wildlife protection laws to prevent such instances that have claimed many lives and resulted in major property and crop loss.

The resolution to amend certain provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act and related rules, guidelines and advisories was moved in the house by Minister for Forests and Wild Life Protection A K Saseendran, while several modifications to it were suggested by opposition MLA's of the Congress-led UDF.

Except the modification with regard to controlling the numbers of wild animals, other suggestions, such as urging the Centre to sanction Rs 50 lakh compensation to families who lost loved ones in animal attacks, were rejected by the minister.

In his resolution, the minister said that the central laws, rules, guidelines and advisories protecting wildlife were stringent and hindered the control, regulation or killing of animals, such as wild boar, that come out of the forests and trouble the general public.

He said that these provisions have not been modified with the changes in time and circumstances and, therefore, need to be amended.

One of the amendments he put forward in the resolution was to give to the Chief Conservator of Forests the powers of the Chief Wildlife Warden to take immediate action in instances of animal attacks or forays into human habitations.

Another amendment he pushed for was to declare or classify as vermin wild boars that come out of the forests and multiply in human-inhabited areas.

The resolution was moved amidst a spate of animal attacks or forays into human settlements in the state, especially in the mountainous regions, in the past few months.

There have been reported instances of wild bears, elephants, tigers, leopards and bison attacking people and livestock as well as destroying crops.

In the most recent incident, a 42-year-old man was trampled to death by a radio-collared wild elephant in Mananthavady area of the mountainous district of Wayanad.

More than four days after the incident, the animal is yet to be captured by forest officials. PTI