Bengaluru: In a surprising move, the Karnataka government is now toying with the idea of sterilizing select wild animals to contain their population and mitigate the human-wildlife conflicts.
Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar B Khandre, however said that this was just an idea, which needs a public debate and opinion from the experts before practically implementing it.
Eshwar Khandre was reacting to media after a wild elephant trampled a coffee planter to death at Kutta in South Kodagu district. ``Of late, there is substantial increase in the human-wildlife conflicts across the state. In this background, there is a need to sterilize select wild animals to control their population. We need to conserve the animals also and ensure that no human life is lost,'' he said.
Stating that it was not a decision by the government, Kharge said that it was just a thought process. ``There is a need for a public debate over the issue. Besides, a similar proposal is being debated in the Supreme Court also. We have to take the opinion of wildlife experts as well as legal experts and take a decision on submitting a report to the Supreme Court,'' he said.
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``We are in the opinion that there should be life as well as livelihood. Wherever the wildlife population is increasing, there is a need to control their population for a couple of years. Other states are also thinking in the similar lines, but we need to have a public debate before taking a decision,'' Khandre said.
Stating that the government had taken up voluntary rehabilitation of the people living inside the forest areas, such rehabilitation will expand the animal territories, leading to lesser conflicts. In a bid to mitigate human-elephant conflicts, the government had proposed to create an elephant sanctuary but is being delayed due to few hurdles in getting center's permission, Khandre added.
