The government is contemplating killing select wild animals that pose threat to the lives of human beings and stray into human settlements bordering the forests, Forests Minister K. Raju has said.
Replying to questions in the Assembly on Wednesday on the increasing man-animal conflict in the State, the Minister said the Forest Department would take a census of animals and approach the Union Ministry of Forests and Environment and National Board for Wildlife. Already, four States have been given granted permission to kill select wild animals.
The Minister said 22 persons had died within the forest, 81 outside the forest, 548 injured and ₹8 crore crop loss reported by the attack of wild animals after 2016-17. A sum of ₹1.10 crore had been disbursed as compensation to those killed and injured and ₹89 lakh to those who had died of snake bite.
The Subject Committee has recommended increasing compensation and the government is looking into it.
On the presence of three wild elephants at Thiruvilwamala in Thrissur for the last three days, the Minister said efforts were on to send them back to the forest with the help of two kumki elephants from Tamil Nadu. “Giving tranqulizer shot to the elephants is not advisable as they may resort to rampant violence in the human settlements. We will wait for a day and take further steps,” he said.
The Minister said the department had decided to train eight more kumki elephants to avoid hiring them from Tamil Nadu. The number of Rapid Response Team (RRT) had been increased from six to 13 and was still inadequate to handle emergencies. More vehicles and equipment would be given to the RRT and additional RRTs would be formed.
Detailing the steps taken by the government to protect the citizens from wild animal attack, Mr. Raju said 204 Janjagran samithis were in place and SMS alert was being provided in 65 places in the State. Rail fencing is being taken up in 6.08 km in Wayanad. The rehabilitation of the wild elephants is also turning to be a big issue.
Adequate compensation and a job will be provided to one of the family members of Rajendran, the EDC member who was gored to death in the deep forest at Ponkalpara near Bonacaud in the capital on Tuesday. Another EDC member was also injured. The 20-member tourist group from Tamil Nadu escaped without injuries, Mr. Raju said.
