IWN Daily Digest — Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Kerala will double the compensation it pays for deaths and crop losses caused by wildlife attacks, the state’s forest minister said on Tuesday, as human-wildlife conflict keeps causing fatalities and crop damage in several parts of the state.
As reported by ThePrint:
“Keralam Minister Shibu Baby John on Tuesday said the government has decided to double compensation for deaths and crop losses caused by wildlife attacks. The decision was taken following discussions with the Chief Minister (V D Satheesan), who also holds the Finance portfolio, and the Agriculture minister, he said.”
ThePrint and the Deccan Chronicle both cite rates of Rs 15 per coconut and Rs 30 per cocoa plant destroyed, and ThePrint names monkeys among the animals responsible. The reports give no effective date, and The Tribune‘s account carries no revised amounts at all.
The forest minister said the state will not treat human-wildlife conflict as the forest department’s job alone, and will bring in the agriculture and revenue departments as well. The plan runs on three tracks, containment, mitigation and compensation, with 55 priority panchayats due to get multi-layered defence systems, according to the Deccan Chronicle. The announcement came at a state-level conclave on farmer safety and human-wildlife conflict mitigation.
For farmers living near forests, the government also plans a pilot project linking homestays with eco-tourism, and will promote crops such as high-curcumin turmeric that ThePrint describes as wildlife-resistant. The state has further committed to paying eligible compensation, assessed on actual property values, before it acquires land designated as ecologically sensitive or fragile.
Sources: ThePrint · Deccan Chronicle · The Tribune
India Wildlife News aggregates wildlife stories from across Indian media to bring the latest from the field to enthusiasts, conservationists, and curious readers — all in one place. Full credit and links to original sources are provided. We encourage readers to visit and support the original publishers.