Context: Kerala urged the Central government to amend the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 to allow controlled killing of specific wild animals causing rising human-wildlife conflicts and agricultural losses.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about WPA 1972, Wild Boar, Bonnet Macaque.
Kerala and Wildlife Attacks
- Wildlife attacks have emerged as a major issue in Kerala, as over 919 persons were killed and over 8,900 injured in wildlife attacks in the state from 2016-17 to 2024-25, according to government data.
- 273 out of 941 village local bodies have been marked as wildlife conflict hotspots.
- The problem animals are mainly tiger, leopard, elephant, bison, wild boar, bonnet macaque and peafowl.
- Although Bonnet macaque (a monkey species) and Peafowl do not pose a threat to life, their repeated raids have forced farmers to abandon vast tracts of agricultural land.
Kerala's Demands
- Kerala urged the Centre to amend the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, to allow region-specific and seasonal culling of man-eating wild animals, citing repeated attacks and failure of preventive measures like fencing.
- Kerala wants Bonnet Macaques removed from Schedule I to enable suo motu action by the Chief Wildlife Warden against increasing monkey menace.
- The state wants Wild Boars to be declared as vermin for a certain period under section 62 of the Act.
- Section 62: Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
- It empowers the Central government to declare Schedule III or IV species as vermin for a specific area/time.
- Allows controlled killing to prevent agricultural loss or threat to human life.
- Does not apply to Schedule I or II animals (most protected).
About Wild Boars:
- Native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa.
- Found widely across India, especially in forests, farmlands, and rural-urban fringe zones.
- It is a nocturnal and secretive animal.
- Travel in groups called sounders (usually females and young). Males are often solitary.
- Acts as a seed disperser and soil tiller but can become invasive in human habitats
- IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern
- Listed under Schedule III of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. It can be declared vermin under Section 62 by the Central Government for specific areas and time periods.
About Bonnet Macaques:
What has led to the increase in human-wildlife conflict in Kerala?
- Habitat Degradation: Decline in the quality and size of natural habitats has forced animals to venture out in search of food and space.
- Fluctuations in Wildlife Population: Regional increases in populations of certain species have led to more frequent animal movements into human areas.
- Grazing of domestic cattle in forest areas.
- Changes in cropping patterns etc.
Why does Kerala want to amend the Wildlife Act?
Kerala wants to amend the Wildlife Act because the existing legal framework puts several constraints in taking timely action in emergency situations,especially in the case of animals protected under Schedule I of the Act.
- Before shooting a wild boar, one has to examine whether it is pregnant or not.
- Before ordering the killing of dangerous wild animals, the state chief wildlife warden should be convinced that it cannot be captured, tranquilised or shifted to another place. Such captured animals should not be held under confinement.
- Guidelines under Project Elephant and the National Tiger Conservation Authority must be followed in relevant cases.
- Court orders restrict the executive magistrate's powers to act under general nuisance laws for wild animals.