Forest Minister Shibu Baby John on Friday visited the residence of Basheer, a headload worker who tragically lost his life in a wild gaur attack in Kulathupuzha, to offer his condolences to the grieving family. Out of the ₹10 lakh relief package sanctioned from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund, ₹5 lakh has already been handed over to the family and the Minister assured that the remaining amount would be disbursed promptly upon completion of formalities.

Addressing the rising threat of human-wildlife conflict, the Minister announced that a comprehensive plan is being formulated to mitigate animal attacks across vulnerable regions. As part of this initiative, a meeting of panchayat presidents from forest-bordering regions will be convened to plan localised defence and monitoring strategies.

“Demonstrating its commitment to addressing the issue, the State government has allocated ₹192 crore in the current Budget specifically aimed at preventing wild animal incursions and conflicts,” he said. To safeguard residents in the Kulathupuzha forest area, the installation of solar fencing is currently underway, and night patrolling in the region has been intensified to deter wildlife movement into human settlements. Punalur Divisional Forest Officer Shaji Kumar, Anchal Range Forest Officer Divya, and other forest officials accompanied the Minister during his visit.

Published - July 31, 2026 08:44 pm IST