Forest department to create mobile app to report wild boar spotting

Thiruvananthapuram: People will soon be able to summon licensed shooters using a mobile app when they spot a wild boar in the neighbourhood as the forest department is set to create a mobile application on the lines of Sarpa app as part of its efforts to tackle human-wildlife conflict.

The app will act as a platform where residents will be able to alert shooters and inform the local body representatives. The app will initially be launched in Thiruvananthapuram, with plans to gradually expand its availability to other districts in subsequent phases.

The recent district-level control committee meeting, chaired by collector Anu Kumari in the collector’s chamber, discussed the app’s potential. The app will send instant alert messages to registered shooters as soon as wild boar trouble is reported. To ensure safety, it will also include the phone numbers of ward members, panchayat secretaries and vigilance committee coordinators. The collector asked the forest department to proceed with steps to develop the app, said a media release.

A panel will be formed at the panchayat level by including more shooters, as part of the govt’s 100-day programme. A forest liaison officer will be appointed at local bodies where human-animal conflict is reported.

According to figures from the previous financial year, 1,658 wild boars were shot dead in the district. Nedumangad municipality culled the highest number of wild boars, followed by Peringammala grama panchayat and Thiruvananthapuram corporation.

Following complaints that wild boar nuisance is severe on Kariavattom campus, the collector directed the corporation to use shooters to cull them and instructed university authorities to clear the undergrowth.

It was also decided to resume the special awareness programme for corporation councillors that had been postponed due to the election code of conduct, and to ensure that meetings of people’s vigilance committees—meant for local discussions on wildlife nuisance—are held at regular intervals, said the release.

In addition to this, the forest department will also map private properties including locked up estates, industrial establishments and the local self-govt bodies where these are located.

Special arrangements will be introduced to clear up undergrowth and bushes from these locations which can provide hiding spots for wild animals.

“Strict action will be taken to remove dense undergrowth in plantations in hilly regions that provide cover for wild animals. To control the nuisance caused by wildlife such as monkeys and peacocks, panchayat-level local response teams will be formed and trained,” the release said.