Kerala looks to the skies to tackle human-wildlife conflict, but is this feasible?

Imagine a tranquilized tiger suspended below or inside the rotors of an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter, flying over the hills of Kerala and then being released deep into an interior forest. This scene, which resembles a scene from a wildlife documentary, may soon become a serious conservation option.

The Kerala Forest Department has suggested the use of Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters to transport captured Schedule I animals, including tigers and leopards, and other large mammals, where possible, from conflict hotspots to safe forest habitats. If approved, this would likely be the first such application within State borders in the country.

But the proposal has opened up a larger debate: Could helicopters offer a practical solution to the growing human-wildlife conflict in Kerala, or will they be an expensive answer to a much more complex ecological problem?

The State, through the Ministry of Defense, has sought assistance from the Center to facilitate emergency air transport of conflict animals, preferably free or at discounted rates. The idea stems from a familiar challenge. Kerala’s rugged terrain, fragmented road network and long journey times make transporting sedentary carnivores by road both difficult and stressful for the animals and risky for field personnel.

Forest officials claim that reducing transit time can reduce operational risks while improving animal welfare.

Aerial translocation is a globally established conservation tool, Wildlife Warden P. Pugazhendi said, noting that cheetahs have been flown in from Africa for reintroduction to Kuno National Park and a tiger was recently translocated from Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh to Rajasthan. While such operations are largely associated with reintroduction or rewilding programmes, Kerala wants to keep open the option of relocating problem animals to its own forests in case of emergency.

The senior forest officer added that such an exercise would require detailed protocols and support from the Centre.

Carrying capacity studies are sought

The proposal comes as the Center is also exploring the broader idea of ​​moving wildlife from areas where populations exceed ecological carrying capacity to habitats where populations remain low. To support such decisions, Kerala has resorted to scientific carrying capacity studies by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal.

Kerala Forest Minister Shibu Baby John said in a recent meeting with Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav that the Center responded positively to both the demands.

According to him, the IAF has stated that smaller animals, including tigers, can be transported by air, while relocating elephants will require heavy-lift Chinook helicopters based in Chandigarh.

He added that the central government is open to moving excess wildlife to suitable tiger reserves or sanctuaries, provided scientific studies justify such interventions. “This will help preserve wildlife without resorting to killing animals,” the Minister noted.

Questions remain

But not everyone is convinced.

Wildlife ecologist PS Easa said the question is not whether helicopters can fly animals, but whether the idea makes ecological and economic sense.

“Such models are taken from Africa, where large areas of land are available. Kerala has dense human population, limited forest area and different ground realities. We cannot just copy these approaches,” he said.

He said any air transfer should be evaluated for cost-effectiveness and long-term conservation value. Finding suitable areas to “rewild” animals within Kerala itself, especially those with large habitats, will still remain a challenge. He added that relocating big cats might be more feasible, but moving elephants could be much more complicated.

Authorities themselves acknowledge the obstacles. Transporting wild animals by air will not be cheap and will require coordination outside the Forest Department, including support from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority and the armed forces.