<p>The Kerala government will seek the Centre's permission to declare wild boars as vermin citing the rise in crop loss and man-animal conflict.</p>.<p>Attempts by farmers to illegally kill wild boars using crude methods like explosives-packed food have led to incidents of wild elephants falling in the trap accidentally and getting killed.</p>.<p>It has been a long pending demand of farmers across Kerala, especially those close to forest areas, to declare wild boars as vermin as they pose serious threats to the crops. The state government has already empowered forest officials to kill wild boars that cause damage to crops but the increasing population warranted the need to declare them as vermin so as to initiate culling.</p>.<p>Kerala Forest Minister K Raju said the state would present the details of clusters where wild boar threat was alarming as the Centre is unlikely to declare the animal as vermin across the state.</p>.<p>However, Kerala forest department sources said the Wildlife Institute of India, which had conducted a study on the wild boar menace in the state, did not recommend declaring the animal as vermin.</p>.<p>Farmers said many people had to stop cultivation due the wild boar menace. Tapioca, sweet potato, pineapple and lemongrass are the crops that suffer a maximum loss due to wild boars. Apart from the crop loss, there several case of man-animal conflicts.</p>.<p>The steeply increasing population was aggravating the issue. As per 2011 enumeration, the wild boar population in Kerala was 48,043, which has now increased manifold.</p>.<p>Pineapple Growers Association of Keralam president Baby John said the Union government had already approved culling of wild animals like wild boar in states like Bihar by declaring them as vermin under the Wildlife Protection Act.</p>.<p>Hence if Kerala effectively presents the sufferings of farmers before the central government, the Centre would allow the plea to declare wild boar as vermin in the state also. About five per cent of the pineapple grown in Kerala are lost due to wild boar menace. The farmers have to spend heavily on aspects like deploying watchmen and setting up fences to protect crops from wild animals.</p>.<p>A study by the Kerala Forest Research Institute also mentioned that elephants and wild boars are responsible for maximum crop damage.</p>
<p>The Kerala government will seek the Centre's permission to declare wild boars as vermin citing the rise in crop loss and man-animal conflict.</p>.<p>Attempts by farmers to illegally kill wild boars using crude methods like explosives-packed food have led to incidents of wild elephants falling in the trap accidentally and getting killed.</p>.<p>It has been a long pending demand of farmers across Kerala, especially those close to forest areas, to declare wild boars as vermin as they pose serious threats to the crops. The state government has already empowered forest officials to kill wild boars that cause damage to crops but the increasing population warranted the need to declare them as vermin so as to initiate culling.</p>.<p>Kerala Forest Minister K Raju said the state would present the details of clusters where wild boar threat was alarming as the Centre is unlikely to declare the animal as vermin across the state.</p>.<p>However, Kerala forest department sources said the Wildlife Institute of India, which had conducted a study on the wild boar menace in the state, did not recommend declaring the animal as vermin.</p>.<p>Farmers said many people had to stop cultivation due the wild boar menace. Tapioca, sweet potato, pineapple and lemongrass are the crops that suffer a maximum loss due to wild boars. Apart from the crop loss, there several case of man-animal conflicts.</p>.<p>The steeply increasing population was aggravating the issue. As per 2011 enumeration, the wild boar population in Kerala was 48,043, which has now increased manifold.</p>.<p>Pineapple Growers Association of Keralam president Baby John said the Union government had already approved culling of wild animals like wild boar in states like Bihar by declaring them as vermin under the Wildlife Protection Act.</p>.<p>Hence if Kerala effectively presents the sufferings of farmers before the central government, the Centre would allow the plea to declare wild boar as vermin in the state also. About five per cent of the pineapple grown in Kerala are lost due to wild boar menace. The farmers have to spend heavily on aspects like deploying watchmen and setting up fences to protect crops from wild animals.</p>.<p>A study by the Kerala Forest Research Institute also mentioned that elephants and wild boars are responsible for maximum crop damage.</p>