Wild boar menace: Direction issued to deploy more licensed shooters

Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran has directed the Chief Wildlife Warden to adopt urgent steps to ensure the availability of more licensed shooters in panchayats under all forest divisions. The instruction has been issued in view of the growing difficulties faced by the public due to the wild boar menace reported in various parts of the State.

According to official sources, the Minister has also ordered that all local self-government institutions be informed about a government order issued last year which states that the expenses incurred by local bodies for culling wild boars would be reimbursed from the Disaster Management Fund.

Mr. Saseendran has called for measures to control and eliminate problematic wild boars that invade human inhabited areas.

The directive has been issued based on complaints that there has been inadequate progress in the implementation of activities being carried out through local self-government institutions to mitigate human-animal conflicts in several panchayats.