Bill to amend Wildlife Protection Act introduced in Kerala assembly

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 18 (PTI) A Bill to amend the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 with the objective of reducing the increasing human-animal conflicts in the state was introduced in the Kerala assembly on Thursday with the UDF opposition raising concerns on whether the amendments would have legal standing.

The amendments to the central law of 1972 aim to empower the Chief Wildlife Warden to order the immediate killing of any wild animal that enters an inhabited area and attacks and injures a person.

The draft of the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was approved last week by the state cabinet.

According to state Forest Minister A K Saseendran, who introduced the Bill in the House, the legislation will help to avoid impractical and time-consuming procedures in the central law and in the standard operating procedures issued by the union government.

If someone is seriously injured in a wildlife attack and the matter is reported to the chief wildlife warden, he can take necessary action, including killing the wild animal, without wasting time on other procedures, the minister said.

At present, the central law has the authority to declare any wild animal in Schedule II as a vermin if its numbers are found to have increased uncontrollably and the amendment gives this power to the state government also.

Once declared as a vermin, anyone can kill that particular wild animal in any way they want, the minister said.

He said that the state decided to bring amendments to the central act as its requests to the Union government to amend the legislation has not elicited any response.

Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, V D Satheesan, said that while the UDF was not against the Bill and the government has the competence to amend the Act, the question that arises was whether the amended law would have any legal standing.

He said that the question arises as the amended provisions are inconsistent with the procedures laid down in the central Act and in case of any conflict, the central legislation will prevail.

"We can bring an amendment, but the reality is that the central Act's provisions will dominate," he said.

Responding to his contention, state Law Minister P Rajeev said that once the amendment is passed by the House and receives the President's approval, then the amended provisions will be applicable in Kerala.

He said that while the state government will make all efforts to ensure the Kerala Governor clears the law, the UDF will have to take up the responsibility of ensuring the President approves the legislation and the LDF was ready to support them in that endeavour.

Following the hours-long discussion on the Bill, the House decided to send it to the concerned subject committee for its consideration. PTI HMP HMP KH