The Kerala High Court emphasized on Friday that forest officials must adhere to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 when dealing with wild animals straying into human habitats. The SOP outlines recommended field actions for handling wild carnivores such as tigers and leopards.
The case before the court involved an appellant who expressed concern that the Forest Department had taken two leopard cubs from their mother in violation of the NTCA's SOP. The Division Bench, comprised of Justice A Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Shoba Annamma Eapen, found no evidence of wrongdoing but directed forest officials to strictly follow the SOP and the Wildlife (Protection) Act when dealing with wild animals in human habitats.
The appellant's grievance stemmed from a newspaper report in January 2022 titled 'Get nod to shoot leopard if needed.' According to the appellant, a mother leopard gave birth to two cubs in an uninhabited village in Palakkad district. Allegedly, forest officials took the cubs away, contrary to the NTCA's SOP, and this action resulted in the mother leopard wandering and posing a threat to villagers in search of its cubs.
A single judge had earlier disposed of the writ petition, concluding that the forest officials were attempting to save the cubs from potential harm by villagers, and their actions were in accordance with the law. The judge also noted that the mother leopard had returned to its habitat with one cub, dispelling concerns about shooting the leopard. Dissatisfied with this ruling, the appellant filed an appeal.
The division bench, upon review, acknowledged that forest officials took the cubs to protect them from villagers and provide necessary medical care. Despite their best efforts, one cub could not be saved, while the other was successfully reunited with its mother.
The court was informed that all forest officials undergo training on rescue, handling, and rehabilitation of wild animals as part of their induction. This training includes exposure to procedures and the SOP followed in the field.
In summary, the Kerala High Court, while dismissing the appeal due to the lack of evidence supporting the violation of SOP, reinforced the importance of forest officials strictly adhering to the NTCA's SOP and the Wildlife (Protection) Act. The court acknowledged the efforts made by the forest officials to protect the leopard cubs and emphasized the necessity of following established procedures to ensure the well-being of both wild animals and human communities in such situations.
TAGS: Kerala High Court Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 Wild animals in human habitats
