Wild animal attacks: Kerala MLA moves Supreme Court for plan to tackle human-wildlife conflict

In view of the spate of recent deaths in Kerala due to attacks by wild animals, Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) PV Anvar has moved a public interest litigation (PIL) petition before the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Central government to formulate a plan to tackle human-wildlife conflict.The plea filed through advocate Subhash Chandran KR has cited recent deaths in Kerala and Tamil Nadu caused by wild animals as the immediate cause for filing of the writ petition.As per data placed by the Central government in Parliament, 2,657 human casualties due to wild animals were reported during 2018-2023. Each such incident results in violation of the right to life and liberty, the plea said..The petitioner submitted that the country has numerous cases of human-wildlife conflict across the country in recent years and that the Kerala Legislative Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution on February 14 last year urging the Central government to amend prevailing wild life protection laws to prevent human-wildlife conflicts in the State.The resolution demanded that the Central law empower Chief Forest Conservators to use lethal force to liquidate wild animals that trespass on residential localities and pose an imminent threat to human life. The resolution further demanded the Central government declare wild boars as vermin. It also emphasized the need for the Central government to implement scientific and humane measures to control the wildlife population and highlighted the significant impact of wildlife threats on the state's rural economy, especially in forested districts.In this backdrop, the plea also highlighted certain jurisdictions where culling of certain animal species is permitted to tackle overpopulation, habitat invasion, degradation and conflicts with human activities..The plea has sought directions to the Central Government to take steps in addressing human-wildlife conflicts. These steps include creating a national policy with expert input, setting up a compensation fund, providing insurance for crops and communities near forests, restoring forest ecology, establishing water bodies and wildlife corridors, reintroducing extinct species or relocating them, using non-lethal methods for population control, implementing culling policies, and adopting technology-based solutions like electric fences and drones. Additionally, proactive measures such as waste management, education, and community involvement have been emphasized.