Kerala agri minister says allowing people to eat wild boar meat could solve crop raid issue

Alapuzha (Kerala) [India], October 12 (ANI): Kerala Agriculture Minister P Prasad has said that permitting people to consume wild boar meat could help curb the increasing menace of wild boars damaging farmlands across the State.
The minister made the remark on Saturday while inaugurating a local project implemented by the Paalamel village panchayat in Alapuzha to protect farmlands from wild animal attacks.
"The wild boar menace has reached a point where the animals are attacking people in several areas. My personal opinion is that if people are allowed to eat the boars they kill, the problem would end quickly. But, due to central laws, that is not possible. Wild boars are not an endangered species," the minister said.
During the event, Minister Prasad publicly rebuked forest department officials for alleged negligence, citing a case in which the family of a man killed in a wild boar attack had not received compensation even after five years.
"Officials are not emperors. They are paid from the taxpayers' money. Some seem to have forgotten this. The arrogance that comes from passing PSC exams should not be reflected in their service. Many deserving families are still denied financial aid due to the irresponsibility of some veterinary doctors and forest officials," he said.
The minister further directed strict action against those responsible for the delay in providing compensation, stating, "Officials cannot hide behind excuses like missing certificates to deny benefits. Such attitudes will not be tolerated."
The Kerala Assembly had on October 8 passed the Wildlife Protection (Kerala Amendment) Act, 2025, which aims to address the rising incidents of human-animal conflicts in the State.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in a post on social media platform X on October 9, said that the passing of the Kerala Wildlife Protection Amendment Bill marks a major step towards addressing rising human-animal conflicts and ensuring justice for forest-edge communities.
He said that Kerala has become the first state to pass a Bill amending the Central Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The Kerala Wildlife Protection Amendment Bill, along with the Forest Amendment Bill, marks a major step towards addressing rising human-animal conflicts and ensuring justice for forest-edge communities.
"These reforms reaffirm Kerala's commitment to safeguarding both human life and wildlife fostering harmony between people and nature," he said in the post. (ANI)