However, this is not the only case where farmers are accused of hunting wildlife in areas adjacent to Kerala`s forest areas. "We will form a conservation group involving local autonomous institutions, forest staff, MGREGA workers and others to control wild animals invading human settlements and destroying crops," he said. The government will develop new legislation in this regard. He added that local leaders in the affected areas will be appointed as honorary wildlife guards. "We strongly condemn the Kerala government`s decision to empower local authorities to hunt wild boar. The government must proceed in a scientific and rational manner and not take arbitrary measures," said Bharati Ramachandran, CEO of FIAOP. But animal lovers and wildlife experts fear abuse of the provision. They said that senseless slaughter will affect the number of wild boars. WAYANAD / THRISSUR: On a rainy night in May, two policemen went fishing in Palakkad, Kerala.
When they crossed a rice field, they entered an electric trap set by a farmer to catch wild boars. The two policemen from the Kerala Armed Police Battalion were electrocuted. The farmer who set the trap was charged with negligent homicide, which did not constitute murder (304 CPI). It later turned out that he had also been accused a few years ago of killing a wild boar. In the late 1990s, when Tedy was at school, he remembers walking 10 to 12 kilometers without fear of an animal attack. "We have never seen a wild boar. Now I see them four or five times a week when I`m driving around town," he said. In the past, farmers cleared vast areas of forest for the cultivation of plants such as ginger and tapioca. As farmers switched to cash crops such as cardamom and rubber, private forest cover increased. "Now a wild boar can easily get into town sheltered from the foliage without people noticing," he said. At the virtual opening of Wildlife Week celebrations, Vijayan said forest officials, other officials who can use firearms and members of the public with firearms permits have been given permission to "shoot wild boars." In a move expected to bring relief to farmers in Kerala, the state cabinet on Wednesday decided to give local self-government bodies the power to kill wild boars that plunder crops and invade human settlements. Wild boar is defined in FWC regulations as a free-ranging pig that cannot legally be claimed as a private domestic pig.
This species is popular for hunting and is found in all 67 counties of Florida. Wild boars occupy a variety of habitats, but prefer oak-cabbage-palm hammocks, freshwater swamps and scales, and shallow pine forests. They can reach weights of over 150 pounds and measure 5 to 6 feet long. They usually travel in small family groups (Sounders) or alone. According to the Forest Service`s 2011 census, the wild boar population in the state is 48,043, but farmers said their numbers have increased at least three times in recent years. Not everyone is so strident about the future course of action. S P Ravi, an environmental activist affiliated with the Chalakkudy River Protection Forum, said Gangil`s proposals could cause harm. "His views could be counterproductive in many ways. If he fights for the right of people near forest areas to kill vermin and eat their meat, it could get really bad in practice. If they have the full right to kill animals, it could also lead to the hunting of other animals," Ravi said. Instead, a comprehensive approach that takes into account the views of all stakeholders, including farmers, environmentalists and government agencies, in the best interest of wildlife is on the agenda, he suggested. He suggests a wildlife census to identify animals that have bred across borders — and identify them as vermin.
By rejecting the Kerala government`s proposal, the centre has contributed to the critical human-animal conflict in this part of the country, Vasudevan said. Wild boar can be caught with live traps (e.g., box traps, cage traps, corral traps). Captive animals cannot be released on public land and only with the permission of the landowner on private property. Persons wishing to transport or keep live wild boars must first obtain the appropriate permits from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). In addition, all dogs that are not physically restrained and that are used for wild boar tracking must be equipped and monitored by devices that allow remote monitoring. The court issued the order after being satisfied that the applicants` properties were threatened by wild boar attacks. The only way to protect farmers` interests is to declare wild boars vermin in certain areas of the state, the court noted.