In order to effectively address these instances, the government is taking steps to establish multi-level panels.
The Kerala cabinet made a significant announcement on Wednesday by categorizing man-animal conflict as a state-specific disaster. This decision was made in response to the frequent incidents of loss of human lives in residential areas caused by wild animal attacks, particularly by elephants. The move comes as various regions in the state are calling for a long-term solution to the issue of man-animal conflict.
In Kerala, nine lives have already been lost this year due to such conflicts. According to an official statement from the Chief Minister’s Office, the state disaster management authority will be involved in addressing the rising occurrences of man-animal conflict.
Two individuals lost their lives in wildlife attacks on Tuesday. The first victim was a 70-year-old farmer named Palatty Abraham, who was tragically killed by a wild gaur on his farm in Kozhikode district. The second victim was a 62-year-old tribal woman who was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Thrissur.
Palatty Abraham, a resident of Kakkayam, had been dealing with the presence of this animal in the area for the past few weeks. While engaged in his farming activities, he was unexpectedly attacked from behind by the wild gaur. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Kozhikode Medical College and Hospital. In response to this incident, the farmers and local residents of Kakkayam in Kozhikode expressed their anger and demanded that the wild gaur be euthanized. They have made it clear that the victim’s postmortem examination will only take place once their demands are addressed by the government.
In the Thrissur incident, the 62-year-old woman named Valsa was trampled to death by a wild elephant while collecting forest produce at Peringalkuthu. She had accompanied her husband and the colony head, Rajan, to the forest when they unexpectedly encountered the aggressive wild elephant.
It is worth noting that in January, two individuals were also attacked by a wild gaur in Kakkayam, an area that houses a hydel power generating station and an eco-tourism center.
The CPI(M) government in Kerala is currently grappling with protests that have erupted in different areas of the state, creating a crisis situation right before the Lok Sabha election. Government officials have emphasized that designating the conflict as a state-specific disaster is intended to enable swift government action.
