THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kazhakoottam, one of the rapidly urbanising areas in the state capital, is grappling with an alarming rise in wild boar sightings and attacks. The menace has prompted the city corporation to take drastic measures, including the shooting down of wild boars, in several wards in the area.
According to Kattayikonam councillor D Ramesan, there has been an unprecedented rise in wild boar encounters in his ward. The civic body has issued permission to kill wild boars in three wards: Kattayikonam, Kazhakoottam and Chandavila.
“People are too frightened to venture out after dark, when wild boars move around in large numbers. They have been causing massive destruction of crops, as a result of which farmers are frustrated. There are dozens of them and we have killed only a very few. There are only one or two shooters, and neighbouring wards have also been seeking their services. It took two nights to shoot seven of the animals,” he said.
It is learned that owing to the wild boar issue, many people have given up farming. And, in turn, the vacant plots have turned into a haven for the animals. Chandavila ward councillor M Binu said that though the area is rapidly developing, farming was still one of the main activities in his ward.
“We had paddy cultivation until three years back. It has all stopped now because of the wild boar menace. People are unsafe and it gets dangerous when they get isolated around wild boars at night,” Binu said. He added that many surrounding areas, including LNCP, also suffer from the menace.
This is the first time that the corporation has taken the decision to shoot wild boars.
Mayor Arya Rajendran said the wild boar menace has adversely affected the farming sector.
“Despite rapid developments in Kazhakoottam, as part of the expansion of the IT hub, there is still a large population there who are into farming. We had been getting complaints from some of the wards, including Sreekaryam. This forced us to take action. We are trying to identify other wards with similar issues,” Arya told TNIE.
A first for corp
This is the first time that the corporation has taken the decision to shoot wild boars
The civic body has issued permission to kill the boars in three wards: Kattayikonam, Kazhakoottam and Chandavila
Wild boars move around in large numbers at night, cause massive destruction of crops. As a result, many people have given up farming