Wildlife attack continues in Kerala: Forest Department's action plans remain unimplemented

Wildlife attacks are the biggest challenge for residents living in Kerala's hilly regions. Farmers living near forest areas constantly fear losing their lives due to wild elephant trampling. Whenever a life is lost in such attacks, people protest by bringing the body to the streets, demanding accountability from the Forest Department. Alongside wildlife threats, government systems' negligence and inefficiency worsen the situation. Residents of Wayanad often complain that they cannot sleep peacefully and that children cannot attend school without fear. Wayanad and Idukki districts face the highest risk of wildlife attacks. The Forest Department only implements temporary measures after each incident, ignoring permanent solutions.

In the last 14 years, 1,523 people have died in wildlife attacks across Kerala. Among these, 273 deaths were caused by wild elephants, 11 by tigers, and 63 by wild boars. Snake bites accounted for the highest number of fatalities, with 1,421 deaths. The yearly death toll from wildlife attacks continues to rise.

Recently, a young man was killed by a wild elephant in Mundur, Palakkad. Locals claim that despite the elephant being near residential areas for two days, the Forest Department failed to issue warnings or take action to drive it away. The elephant was not detected by cameras installed at forest boundaries, and complaints were raised about malfunctioning solar fences.

Forest Minister A. K. Saseendran promised an investigation into possible lapses by the Forest Department. However, similar statements are made after every incident without effective follow-up actions. Last month, the Forest Department announced ten action plans to prevent wild animals from entering human settlements, but many remain unimplemented. Systems for real-time monitoring and early warnings about wildlife movements have not been implemented. The Sarpa project for catching snakes is progressing slowly.

Plans to provide food and water for animals within forests to prevent their migration have stalled due to lack of funds. The budget allocated only ₹50 crore for addressing wildlife issues—insufficient for implementing action plans effectively. Other states secure funding through special projects submitted to the central government, but Kerala has not taken similar steps. The Kerala government should remember that just declaring the issue a state disaster does not prevent the attacks from happening.