COIMBATORE: Farmers attached to Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam have announced that they will form a team to capture and eliminate wild boars intruding into agricultural lands in Coimbatore.
Pointing to the forest department's order calling for regulated culling of wild boars, they said that culling of wild boars that enter agricultural lands are not being carried out by the department despite repeated complaints by farmers in the district.
"The government issued an order for regulated culling of wild boars in January 2025. As per the order, culling of wild boars is prohibited within 1 km from the forest boundary, while capture and release in permitted between 1-3 km and regulated culling by trained forest personnel is allowed beyond 3 km from the forest. We are demanding a correction of the order, permitting the culling of wild boars intruding into agricultural lands without any restrictions. Even though the regulated culling order was issued 11 months ago, it has not been implemented by the forest department," said T Venugopal, president of Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam.
"During our association meeting at Karadimadai in Perur on Sunday, a resolution was adapted to form a team of farmers to capture and cull wild boars to control the menace. 15 experienced farmers will be included in the team, and the team will start capturing wild boars that intrude into agricultural lands," he added.
District Forest Officer (DFO) N Jayaraj told TNIE said, "As per the rules, farmers should not indulge in culling of wild boars. As part of the regulated culling of wild boars, forest staff are trained to shoot wild boars entering beyond 3 km."
He said the department has culled two wild boars in Madukkarai forest range and captured over 50 wild boars after the order was issued.