Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/KERALA: A controversy on conservation has been triggered by the remarks of an Indian state minister regarding tiger culling.
According to reports, Kerala’s wildlife minister, AK Saseendran, said that his state’s government might look into culling or sterilization to control tiger populations.
He spoke out of fury over the tiger attack that killed a farmer. Later, the minister informed the BBC that he had just reiterated a resident’s recommendation to kill tigers.
Remarks sparked debate on wildlife conservation
By that time, his remarks had sparked a debate on wildlife conservation, during which several experts expressed outrage and noted that culling was “legally unworkable.”
More than 70% of the tigers in the world live in India; the most current government estimate puts the total at 2,976. However, because their habitats haven’t grown as quickly, so-called “surplus” tigers have been forced to leave protected areas and come into contact with people.
The killing or capture of tigers is essentially prohibited by a federal wildlife protection statute that was put into effect in 1972.
The attack in Kerala happened on January 13 in the Wayanad district’s Mananthavady forest region. The 50-year-old victim had severe burns on his hands and legs and passed away from cardiac arrest as he was transferred from one hospital to another. According to a medical assessment, his wounds had “severe bleeding.”
After he passed away, incensed locals demonstrated against forest rangers and demanded that the tiger be punished. According to local media, Mr. Saseendran suggested culling as a potential solution to the problem. The notion of culling, however, came from locals who had attended a meeting with all the political parties to negotiate a way out, the minister told the BBC. “We need to find a way to keep the animals under control. I have no rush to eliminate anything, “he said.
Tiger specialist and conservationist Dr. Ullas Karanth told the BBC that, in the past 50 years, the number of tigers has grown by barely 1,000, significantly less than its capacity. Therefore, he believes the recommendation to kill tigers to control their population is not wise.
Former National Board for Wildlife member Praveen Bhargav said that a recently updated part of the Wildlife Act forbade the designation of tigers as “vermin.”
According to Bhargav, the forest minister’s idea could be more workable from a legal standpoint. However, a state’s chief wildlife warden may authorize a tiger to be hunted “after being satisfied that it cannot be tranquilized or translocated,” according to the law, “in case of acute human-animal conflict,” he added.
