Kerala govt mulls law to cull wild boars
The Kerala Government is mulling to bring a law that allows culling of wild boars by declaring it as ‘vermin’. Once a species is declared vermin it loses legal status of being protected. Echoing similar thoughts former union minister P Chidambaram also said that Tamil Nadu should also bring a similar law.
Currently, wild boars are a protected species and the Centre in the Budget session has said there were no plans of bringing an amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act to allow killing protected species.
However, experts say that a law already exists under which a state government can declare a wild species a vermin and cull them for a specific time period.
Former Indian Forest Service officer BK Singh said, “Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, provides for the culling of vermin if it causes undue hardship to agriculturists. Kerala has found wild boar damaging agriculture and Chief Wildlife Warden can be permitted to cull.”
However, he cautioned saying that the state should exercise restraint and order for culling only when the vermin population has proliferated and inflict considerable damage to agriculture crops.
India