Thu Jan 23 16:26:17 IST 2025: ## Kerala Demands Wildlife Act Reform Amidst Rising Human-Wildlife Conflicts

**Thiruvananthapuram, January 23, 2025** – The Kerala government is escalating its calls for urgent reforms to India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, citing a surge in human-wildlife conflicts. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, facing mounting pressure over the issue, criticized the central government for repeatedly denying state requests for amendments.

Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran stated that Kerala has repeatedly requested permission to classify wild boars as “vermin,” a designation that would allow for more effective population control. This request, along with others, has been consistently denied by the central government.

The Kerala Assembly passed a resolution last year demanding amendments to the act. Responding to a calling attention motion in the Assembly on Thursday, Minister Saseendran acknowledged the inadequacy of the current legal framework in addressing the escalating problem.

The conflict extends beyond wild boars. The state is also grappling with increasing nuisance caused by monkeys. The government has submitted a proposal to reclassify bonnet macaques to a lower schedule within the Wildlife (Protection) Act, allowing for stricter control measures. A comprehensive action plan, including birth control measures, is also under development.

In response to the crisis, the Kerala government has declared human-wildlife conflict a state-specific disaster, creating guidelines for safe management and a 12-zone landscape-level master plan to address conflict-prone areas. These localized plans will eventually form a statewide strategy. Furthermore, the State Wildlife Board has initiated the creation of a new forest policy to strengthen mitigation efforts.

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