KOCHI: While animal rights groups vehemently oppose the practice of culling wild animals by declaring them as vermin, the clamour to declare wild pigs as such is growing louder in the state. Though the forest department has constituted teams at the division level to hunt down wild pigs that destroying crops, farmers complain that the menace has only increased.
“Forest teams have been formed at the divisional level to address the complaints of wild pig menace. As the department does not have adequate number of sharp shooters, we are availing the service of licensed shooters. We have killed 1,415 wild pigs as part of the drive, which was launched a year ago, till December 12,” said a forest officer. “Hunting down a wild pig during night is a challenging job. There were incidents when the wild pig attacked the shooter,” he added.
Meanwhile, farmers allege that the forest drive is not yielding any result. “The forest department does not have shooters and they are reluctant to help us during night. Some farmers keep snare around their farmlands to trap the pigs. We inform the forest department when a pig is trapped in the snare. They come and kill the animal. The farmers are not allowed to use snares, poison or explosives to kill the wild animals. There are restrictions on using electric fencing also. Wild pigs have been causing extensive damage to crops in forest fringe areas and we have no other option but to beg in front of forest officials,” said Kerala Independent Farmers Association chairman Alex Ozhukayil.
Meanwhile, the office of Forest Minister A K Saseendran said the state is waiting for a favourable reply from the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF). “The minister had taken up the issue with Union minister Bhupender Yadav. The minister had assured to visit the state soon and assured steps to address the farmers’ woes,” said an officer at the minister’s office.
Meanwhile, the plight of a shooter who sustained injuries in wild pig attack in Kasaragod on November 1, has discouraged licensed gunmen from taking the risk. K U Johnny, 60, who was engaged by the forest department to shoot down a wild pig at Balal in Kasaragod, had suffered injuries to his spine. He is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mangaluru and his condition continues to be critical.