Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 11: With reports of wild animal attacks pouring in from various parts of the state, Kerala Forest Minister A K Saseendran said on Tuesday the government is taking all possible and effective measures to prevent the animals from entering human-inhabited areas.
The minister noted it is still unclear when the issue will be resolved.
He stated that bringing the entire forest area in the high-range sector under camera surveillance is not practical, as manpower is also required to monitor the movement of wild animals in deep forests.
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The minister informed the state Assembly that steps are already underway to implement a multi-pronged strategy—Mission Food, Fodder, and Water—to find a permanent solution to the wildlife menace by ensuring adequate food and water for them within the forest region itself.
Saseendran was replying to a question by Mannarcaud MLA A N Shamsuddin regarding the increasing wildlife attack menace in the state.
The UDF legislator mentioned in the House the tragic death of a tribal woman in a tiger attack last month when she had gone to pluck coffee beans in Wayanad.
He questioned why the forest department had failed to detect the presence of the tiger in the forest fringe area despite the installation of surveillance cameras.
He also accused the government of trivialising the issue of human-animal conflict and giving repetitive responses.
Saseendran, however, rejected the opposition MLA’s allegations and said the “trivialising” remark was “regrettable.”
“We cannot bring the entire forest area under camera surveillance because there is green cover beneath the cameras, and wild animals move through the undergrowth below. Their movements can be tracked by monitoring these areas using manpower,” he explained.
Saseendran cited various factors—including climate change, wildfires, waste deposition, food and water scarcity within forests, illegal tourism activities, and agricultural practices in fringe regions—as reasons for wild animals straying into human settlements.
“The government is making effective interventions to protect people living in the high ranges of the state from wild animal attacks,” he said.
He also assured stringent action against wildlife officials who fail to take timely decisions and measures to curb human-animal conflicts.
Replying to a question raised by K P A Majeed (UDF), the minister said he could not specify when wildlife attacks would be completely eliminated in the state.
When a legislator mentioned the case of a tribal man who was found dead in a suspected elephant attack in Wayanad on Tuesday, Saseendran said the incident involved individuals who had entered the forest. He added that directions had been given to provide all necessary government assistance in this regard. (PTI)
