Kerala's initiative to mitigate man-animal conflict

IN what could initiate fresh debate over mitigating the human-wildlife conflict, Law Minister P Rajeeve said the state government, acting on legal advice, is considering to introduce an amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 to empower the chief wildlife warden to authorize any person to kill or capture a wild animal that causes serious injury to human beings or poses a threat to a public place.

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The minister announced the decision while addressing a two-day regional conference on 'Human-Wildlife Conflict and Co-Existence: Legal and Policy Perspectives' organised by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KeLSA), in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.

Addressing the conference, which is being attended by Supreme Court and High Court judges and leading legal luminaries, Rajeeve said the current legislative framework was inadequate to protect human lives during emergencies. "If an elephant or tiger strays into a populated area and attacks people, waiting for clearance from top forest authorities is impractical. Marginalised communities and small farmers are the worst affected," he said.