The team of shooters and dog-handlers led by K.P. Shan.
A team of shooters and dog-handlers are in great demand among State farmers harried by the recurrent attacks of wild boars. Recently, when the Enmakaje grama panchayat used the power entrusted to local bodies by the Forest department to cull wild boars, for the first time in Kasaragod district, it was K.P. Shan from Malappuram and his team who was summoned for the task.
Mr. Shan told The Hindu that his team comprised 30 people. Apart from Mr. Shan, there are five shooters — Ali Nellengara, Devakumar Varikath, Chadran Varikath, V.J. Thomas, and Suresh Babu. Then, there are those who handle the dogs for the culling operation. Most team members are professional shooters and are part of rifle clubs. They come from Malappuram, Mankada, Perinthalmanna, and Ottappalam. “Some are into business, some are farmers. But when our service is needed, we assist panchayats anywhere in the State in culling wild boars,” said Mr. Shan.
Forest dept. directive
They began culling wild boars about four years ago when the Forest department was looking for shooters. Since 2022, they have been helping panchayats which have now been given the right to cull the boars with the knowledge of the Forest department.
“Since then we have killed about 450 wild boars in places such as Malappuram, Thrissur, Palakkad, and Kasaragod,” he said. They have received requests from Wayanad, Ottappalam, and Kollam too. Mr. Shan said that culling required a lot of preparation and meticulous planning. “We have to go around the village and identify the most affected places and find the animals’ hiding places.”
Large area, large team
The size of the team depends on the area. While many places have so far required a smaller team, in places like Kasaragod where the animals have 10 acres of land to hide, a bigger team is needed. They identify the animals through pugmarks. “The shooters avoid killing the piglets and sow. The marauding older ones are killed. We have trained native dog breeds that are suited for the climatic conditions and are capable of ferreting out boars from their hiding places,” he said.
‘Risk worth taking’
“One never knows from where the animal will leap out. At times, they charge at you. Some of the team members have been injured during operations,” he said. However, the team is willing to take the risk as it would provide some succour to the farmer, who has no other solution in hand, he added. The culled boars are handed over to the Forest department.
The team does not charge for their service, and the expenses are taken care of by the local bodies.
