Under pressure from the Uttarakhand Government, the Centre has finally given nod for culling wild boars venturing outside forests, and declared the animal “vermin”’

However, the order is only for one year instead of three years as demanded by the hill State. Last time the order for killing wild pigs was given in February 2016 for one year. The State Government had applied in January seeking approval for hunting the animal.

Confirming this, a senior official of the Union Ministry of Environment made it clear that the State can cull only those wild pigs which stray outside the protected areas, causing harm to life and property, including large-scale destruction of agriculture.

The State is reporting overpopulation of wild pig in areas outside forests. The Government has done no census of wild boars after 2006, but official estimates put their number at 50,000. This data is, however, not backed by any scientific methods.

The decision to allow declaring wild pigs as “vermin” permits the State authorities to carry out an extermination of the animal on a large scale without attracting penal provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

In a letter to the State, the Ministry said the Central Government has noted Uttarakhand has reported harm to life and property, including large-scale destruction of agriculture, due to overpopulation of wild pig in areas outside forests.

Hence, it has been considered necessary to balance local population of this species to mitigate the damage to human life, crops and other properties of the state for ensuring conservation of wildlife in forests.

“Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 62 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the Central Government hereby declares wild pigs to be vermin and to be included in Schedule V of the Act for a period of one year from the date of issue of this notification,”  the letter said.

The official made it clear that the inclusion of wild pigs in Schedule V of the Wildlife Protection Act shall not be applicable in the forest areas of Uttarakhand. The areas where the order is implementable include Nanital, Ramnagar, Kaladhungi, Haldwani, Uddham Singh Nagar and Tehri Garhwal among others.

Wild pigs are a protected species under Schedule III of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. But if any wild animal poses a danger to human life or property (including standing crops on any land), or is so disabled or diseased as to be beyond recovery, the law allows for it to be hunted.

Using these provisions, any animal listed in Schedule I-IV can be put in Schedule V for a specific period, declaring it as vermin, allowing its killing. Schedule V include animals like the common crow, fruit bats, mice and rats.