Declare wild pigs as vermin for at least 6 months

STATE'S DEMAND

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @T'Puram

CLOSE on the heels of the Centre rejecting its request to bring amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act, the state has again approached the Union Ministry with the same demand.

In a letter to the ministry, Forest Minister A K Saseendran pointed out loopholes in the Centre's stance that the chief wildlife warden has powers to effectively deal with human-wildlife conflict. The minister urged the Centre to declare wild boars as vermin — at least in villages identified as conflict hotspots — for a period of six months.