Kerala Assembly passes resolution urging Centre to amend wildlife laws as animal attacks rise

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution seeking amendments in wildlife protection laws for efficacy in dealing with human-animal conflicts.

Kerala forest minister A K Saseendran moved the resolution that sought measures to regulate and control the population of wild animals such as wild boars that frequently enter human settlements and wreak havoc.

It also suggested that wild boars that enter human settlements should be declared vermin, and batted for giving powers to chief conservators of forests to take immediate actions in case of wild animals entering human settlements and causing destruction.

Meanwhile, close on the heels of the death of a wild elephant after being tranquilised in Wayanad in Kerala, a tiger that was tranquilised in Kannur died while being translocated. The male tiger was tranquilised after it was trapped in a fence at a human settlement at Kottiyoor in Kannur on Tuesday.

It was being shifted to the Thrissur zoo, when it was reported dead.

Sources said that the tiger was weak as it had remained trapped in the fence for quite some time. An inquiry has been initiated to find the cause of death.

A wild elephant, 'Thaneer', which created a scare at Mananthavady in Wayanad after crossing over to Kerala from the Bandipur forest earlier this month, had died while it was translocated after tranquilising.

Meanwhile, efforts to dart the wild elephant 'Belur Makhna' which killed one person at Wayanad last week turned out to be futile on Wednesday also. Another wild elephant was also reportedly accompanying 'Belur Makhna'. There are also reports that the accompanying elephant was turning aggressive towards the darting team.

Wild animal scares in the Mananthavady region in Wayanad escalated further on Wednesday as local people stated that a tiger was spotted in the region in the morning.