{
  "id": 14463586,
  "title": "Wild boar menace grows due to shortage of licensed shooters in Kozhikode district",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/wild-boar-menace-grows-due-to-shortage-of-licensed-shooters-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-14T13:56:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/wild-boar-menace-grows-due-to-shortage-of-licensed-shooters-in-kozhikode-district/article71583395.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The shortage of licensed shooters in Kozhikode district has created a growing problem of wild boar menace due to the lack of legal culling. Farmers from the affected panchayats are demanding more gun licenses and local panels of shooters to be formed for their grievances, but their requests have yet to be approved by the district administration. Financial constraints also pose a significant challenge as farmers have to pay ₹3,500 per wild boar culling, and many panchayats are struggling to fund this independently. Additionally, restrictions on shooters crossing local body boundaries and complicated legal procedures further hinder culling operations. Some local authorities have cited dissatisfaction among licensed shooters regarding the existing remuneration and legal disposal of hunted animals. Farmers' organizations suggest the formation of a district-level panel of shooters could resolve the crisis, while leaders from the Kerala Karshaka Union urge the State government to intervene by granting new gun licenses to eligible farmers. Currently, only around 180 licensed shooters exist in Kozhikode district, with many awaiting license renewals due to stringent screening procedures.",
  "summary": "Heads of grama panchayats say they have to wait for long periods for shooters to become available to address farmers’ grievances, while a shortage of funds to meet the expenses of empanelled shooters adds to the difficulties faced by local bodies",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}