Kerala Cabinet nod to draft Bill allowing killing of wild animals that attack people, Pg 7.

Key Highlights:

• The Kerala Cabinet approved a draft Bill to amend the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, to allow the killing of wild animals that attack humans.
• The Bill aims to simplify procedures for killing threatening wild animals, identifying 273 village local bodies as hotspots.
• The amendment empowers the chief wildlife warden to order the killing of wild animals attacking humans.
• The Bill allows the relocation or birth control measures for Schedule II animals without central sanction.
• It also empowers the state to declare animals in Schedule II as vermin, and proposes to move bonnet macaque monkeys from Schedule I to Schedule II.

Detailed Insights:

• The amendment Bill addresses delays caused by the existing Act and central government Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• The state government can now declare wild animals as vermin, allowing anyone to kill them; wild boar is an example.
• Relocating Schedule II animals or implementing birth control will not require prior approval from the central government.
• Moving bonnet macaque monkeys to Schedule II allows the chief wildlife warden to order their capture and relocation if they cause disturbances.
• The central government previously rejected Kerala's request to kill threatening wild animals, stating that existing norms were sufficient.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Vermin: Wild animals considered harmful to crops, livestock, or humans, allowing them to be killed without specific permits.
• Schedule I: List of species that are provided the highest level of protection under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• Schedule II: List of species that are relatively less endangered and are provided comparatively less protection than Schedule I species.