Bharatiya Janata Party Kerala state president and MLA Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday, 8 June accused successive Left Democratic Front (LDF) and United Democratic Front (UDF) governments of criminal negligence in addressing the escalating human-wildlife conflict crisis across the state, alleging that residents of hilly and forest-fringe regions have been left without adequate protection for years.

Scale of the Crisis

Citing government records, Chandrasekhar claimed that wildlife attacks in Kerala between 2016 and 2025 resulted in 1,128 deaths and 8,480 injuries. Attacks by elephants, tigers, and wild boars alone accounted for 260 fatalities during the same period. Elephant attacks between 2020 and 2025 claimed 102 lives, while 344 deaths were recorded from wildlife attacks between 2021 and 2025, according to the BJP leader.

Chandrasekhar further noted that five people had lost their lives in wildlife attacks in Kerala in the past two weeks alone, underscoring what he described as a worsening trend that the state government had failed to arrest.

The Suryanelli Incident

The BJP state chief drew particular attention to the death of Mariyammal at Suryanelli in Idukki district, who was killed in a wild elephant attack while escorting her son to school. The child, who was injured in the same attack, continues to receive medical treatment. Chandrasekhar said the incident encapsulated the fear and insecurity that has become routine for communities living near forest boundaries. 'People are now unable to live without fear even in their own villages,' he said.

Allegations of Fund Misutilisation

Chandrasekhar alleged that the Centre had already provided states with both financial assistance and expanded legal powers to tackle human-animal conflict — including provisions for solar fencing, physical barriers, rapid response teams, surveillance of vulnerable zones, and management of elephant movement corridors. However, he claimed that Kerala had failed to properly utilise the available funds and legal mechanisms. He also criticised what he described as persistent delays in disbursing compensation to victims and their families.

Political Accountability and Demands

Accusing both the LDF and UDF of adopting near-identical approaches to the issue, Chandrasekhar argued that the UDF had raised the matter while in opposition but failed to act when in power, while the LDF's decade-long rule had not produced any durable solution. He demanded the immediate deployment of modern technology — including drones, AI-based surveillance systems, and real-time wildlife intrusion alerts — to prevent animals from entering human settlements. 'Protecting the lives and property of citizens is the government's primary responsibility,' he said.

This comes amid growing national attention on human-wildlife conflict, with forest-fringe communities across multiple states reporting a rise in incidents as habitat pressures intensify. Whether Kerala's government responds with concrete policy action or further delays remains to be seen.