Kerala turns to forest restoration amid rising threat from wildlife

KOCHI: As human-wildlife conflict escalates in Kerala—with 27 people killed in five months—the forest department is undertaking a quiet but crucial shift: restoring degraded plantations into natural forests to address the root cause of these confrontations.

So far, 1,700 hectares of forest plantations have been converted into natural forests, and efforts are on in another 5,000 hectares. A top forest official said, “We have grown acacia and eucalyptus in 72,000 hectares and these species will be completely replaced.”

However, the forest department still relies on timber revenue, with 534 hectares of new plantations added in 2023–24. Critics say this focus, along with invasive species, is degrading habitats and pushing wildlife into human areas.