Kerala Dismisses Union Minister's Claims on Wild Animal Management

Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 10 (PTI): Kerala Forest Minister A K Saseendran has dismissed as "half-truths" and "baseless" the claims made by Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav regarding Kerala’s authority to manage wild animals and the recent incident involving the death of a teenager in Malappuram due to an illegal live wire trap set for wild boars. Saseendran asserted that the Union Environment Minister was echoing the opposition's accusations concerning the unfortunate demise of the teen. He strongly refuted any negligence on the part of the state government, as reportedly suggested by the Union Minister.

Saseendran explained that the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWC) possesses the authority to order the killing of a wild animal that poses a threat to human life or causes damage to property in inhabited areas. However, he noted that such actions require adherence to a standard operating procedure (SOP), which includes forming a local area committee with representation from the National Tiger Conservation Authority. He pointed out the impracticality of certain SOP requirements, which complicate the decision-making process for the CWC.

"We have sent a request to the central government seeking relaxations in the SOP requirements. Unfortunately, we have not received any response, and the union minister did not address this issue when speaking to the media," Saseendran stated, alleging that the Centre's "double standards" are causing hardship to residents in Kerala's forested hilly areas.

Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav, speaking to the media in Delhi, accused the Kerala government of responsibility for the boy’s death, claiming that the Centre has guidelines authorizing panchayats to act against wild boars threatening lives and property. The tragic incident involved 15-year-old Ananthu alias Jithu, a Class 10 student, who died after encountering a live wire from an illegally set electric fence aimed at trapping wild boars in Vazhikadavu, Malappuram district, on Saturday.

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