First wild boar shot down by forest officials in Virudhunagar

Ten months after the Tamil Nadu Forest Department issued a government order permitting regulated culling of wild boars that damage crops and attacks farmers, the first incident of forest officials hunting down a wild boar was reported near Srivilliputtur in the early hours of Saturday.

The State Government had issued the Government Order on January 9, 2025 allowing the forest officials trained in shooting firearms to hunt down the wild boars.

Consequently, local committees have been formed comprising Forester, village administrative officer, panchayat president or representative of the local bodies that would inspect the farmlands affected by wild boars and give recommendation to the Forest Range Officer to shoot down the wild boars.

Forest Range Officer would order the shooting of wild boars.

Following a report submitted by an expert committee that studied the wild boar menace in the five areas in September, Deputy Director, Srivilliputtur Meghamalai Tiger Reserve, R. Murugan, instructed the officials to hunt down the wild boars damaging crops in farmlands that were located three km away from forest areas.

After the local committee received a complaint from a farmer from Mannarkottai in Virudhunagar taluk, some 35 km away from the forest area, the panel recommended to shoot down the wild boars.

A team of forest officials, led by the Srivilliputtur Forest Range Officer, G. Chellamani, camped in Mannarkottai on Thursday night and shot down a wild boar at around 3.15 a.m. on Saturday.

The dead animal was buried in the farmland as per the standard operating procedure.

Similarly, two more wild boars were caught with nets in Pampatti near Kariyapatti, Mr. Murugan said.