PANAJI: The national bird peacock and Goa's talisman wild bison are among animals that are proposed to be listed as 'nuisance animals' by the Goa government.
"We have listed several wild species including wild boar, monkey, wild bison (gaur) and peacock as nuisance animals. These animals are creating a problem for farmers by destroying their crops," the state's agriculture minister Ramesh Tawadkar told reporters in Margao last evening.
The decision is likely to evoke strong resentment from environmentalists as the peacock is the national bird of India and the wild bison is Goa's state animal.
Tawadkar said he is aware that the peacock is India's national bird. But the government will follow a procedure by which it can certified as a 'nuisance' as well.
"We will have to compile a record of how many complaints are received from farmers about crop destruction by these animals," he said.
Apparently, farmers want these animals declared as "nuisance animals".
Goa chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar said during the recent Legislative Assembly session that the government would declare monkeys and a few other animals as 'vermin' (nuisance animals) as they cause losses to farmers.
Parsekar pointed out that cases of monkey fever have been reported from certain parts of the state.