Thu Sep 18 05:46:36 UTC 2025: ## Summary of the text:

The text is a news article from *The Hindu* reporting on Kerala’s efforts to manage its wild boar population. Due to a rise in population and increasing conflict with humans, the state government authorized local self-government institutions to cull the animals. As of July 2025, nearly 5,000 wild boars have been eliminated. The government has extended the authorization for the culling operation until May 2026. The article also mentions the challenges in managing bonnet macaque populations, as they are a protected species. However, a new Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aims to give the state more flexibility in managing populations of Schedule II animals, potentially including the bonnet macaque, through birth control and translocation.

## News Article:

**Kerala Culls Thousands of Wild Boars Amid Rising Human-Animal Conflict**

**THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, September 18, 2025** – In response to a surge in the wild boar population and increasing conflict with humans, the state of Kerala has culled 4,734 wild boars that strayed into human settlements. The operation, which began earlier this year, authorized local self-government institutions to manage the population of the animals, which pose a threat to residents and crops.

Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran announced in the Kerala Assembly today that the authorization, which appoints local officials as honorary wildlife wardens to oversee the culling and disposal of the animals, has been extended until May 25, 2026. Palakkad district reported the highest number of boars culled, followed by Malappuram, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kannur.

The article also addressed the challenges of managing the bonnet macaque population, a protected species under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. While culling is restricted, the Forest Department is focusing on translocating the animals from conflict areas to suitable habitats within forests.

A proposed Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aims to streamline wildlife management by potentially allowing the state to implement birth control and translocation programs for Schedule II animals, like the bonnet macaque, without requiring prior approval from the Union government. The bill also suggests transferring the bonnet macaque from Schedule I to Schedule II, as the Union government now has the power to declare any wild animal in Schedule II as vermin if it is found that its number has increased exponentially.

The move highlights Kerala’s commitment to balancing human safety and wildlife conservation in the face of growing ecological challenges.

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