An official at India commented scathingly about the presence of tigers. He wants the creature to no longer exist or be destroyed.
Launch BBC, Sunday (22/1/2023), AK Saseendran a minister of wildlife in the state of Kerala spoke about the eradication of tigers. His comments then sparked a fierce debate about conservation.
He said his government could consider solutions including sterilization or culling to check the number of tigers in the state. His remarks were in response to the death of a farmer in a tiger attack.
The minister later told that he was only repeating advice from local residents about culling tigers.
By then, his comments had sparked discussions about wildlife conservation, with some experts pointing out the outrage and culling was a legally untenable suggestion.
India is home to more than 70% of the world’s tigers, according to government estimates. The number reached 2,976.
But the tiger’s habitat isn’t expanding at the same rate, forcing a state of so-called tiger surplus. They move outside protected areas and come into conflict with humans.
The federal wildlife protection law, implemented in 1972, makes it almost illegal to kill or capture tigers. Nevertheless, the animal is designated as the national animal of India even though they are involved in conflicts.
The attack in Kerala took place on January 13 in the Mananthavady forest area in Wayanad District. The victim (50) suffered serious injuries to his hands and feet and died of a heart attack while being transferred from one hospital to another.
A medical report said that his injuries had caused very bad bleeding. After his death, angry local residents protested forest officials and demanded that the tiger be killed.
“We have to find a solution to control the animals… I am in no rush to culling them,” said Saseendran.
Dr Ullas Karanth, a conservationist and tiger expert, said that over the last 50 years, the tiger population has only increased by a thousand, much less than it should have.
“So the suggestion of culling tigers to reduce their numbers is not a good idea,” he said.
Praveen Bhargav, former member of the National Council for Wildlife, said that the recently amended section of the Wildlife Act India do not allow tigers as pests.
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(msl/wsw)
