Kerala seeks to ease wildlife protections to manage human-animal conflict

The Kerala Forest Department is preparing a proposal to the Central Government to ease legal restrictions on managing native monkeys and wild boars due to rising human-wildlife conflict. The state intends to request that native monkey species be moved from Schedule I to Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, to facilitate better management of nuisance issues in forest-edge areas.

Additionally, Kerala plans to seek status for wild boars as vermin under Section 62 of the Wildlife Protection Act. To address the threat to residents and agriculture, the state is expanding the reach of certified wild boar shooters, allowing them to operate statewide rather than being confined to specific zones. The chief wildlife warden will now oversee the certification and deployment of these shooters, while local government heads will retain the authority to authorize culling through May 2027.

To support affected communities, the state government plans to increase compensation for dependents of those killed in wildlife conflicts from Rs 14 lakh to Rs 21 lakh and provide Rs 10 lakh for permanent disabilities. Proposed measures also include the creation of panchayat-level rapid response teams and the appointment of Forest Liaison Officers to improve coordination.