KOCHI: The Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) on Sunday urged the state government not to trivialise people’s concerns over increasing wildlife attacks and called for new legislation as a long-term measure.
Highlighting the data by the forest department that said Kerala reported 55,839 wild animal attacks in the past eight years, KCBC, in a statement, said 910 human lives were lost in the attacks. “Over time, Kerala has seen a rise in the quantity and intensity of wildlife attacks. There has been a noticeable rise in wildlife attacks in Wayanad and neighbouring districts in the past year. Three people in Wayanad lost their lives to wild animal attacks in the last week alone,” the statement from KCBC said.
It continued: “Within a year or so, tigers and other wild animals started appearing in many of these areas. The situation of residents is pathetic, as wildlife conflicts are rising by the day. The Union and state governments machinery should be prepared to take practical and immediate interventions with utmost seriousness at this stage.”
Urging officials to not try to go for an “easy solution” by suppressing people’s concerns and fears, KCBC sought prompt measures to devise policies allowing culling of wildlife that pose significant threat to the lives and property of citizens.
“It is necessary to take action to control the growing wildlife population, which is reaching a point where the forest’s equilibrium is being lost. Do not neglect to promptly compensate individuals who were injured, lost their wages, suffered property damage or died in wildlife attacks,” the KCBC said.
“For a long-term fix to the issue, comprehensive legislation needs to be passed. The Catholic Church in Kerala expresses condolences to all the families who lost their loved ones in wild animal attacks and expresses complete solidarity with people fighting for survival,” the statement said.