Culling of animals

Published on 04 Apr 2025

The intentional killing or reduction of a population of animals, typically to manage their numbers for various reasons, is referred to as animal culling. 

Reasons for culling of animals

• Population control: Certain wildlife populations have the potential to grow quickly and become uncontrollable, which can result in overgrazing, habitat destruction, and resource competition.

• Example: Culling of monkeys in Himachal Pradesh

• Agricultural Protection: Animals that endanger livestock or crops are killed by farmers. This is frequently carried out to reduce economic losses and safeguard food supplies.

• Example: Karnataka government legalized the culling of wild boars in 2016 the cause of agricultural damage

• Disease Management: Culling may be used to stop the spread of a contagious disease that is affecting a population of animals and safeguard the ecosystem's general health.

• Example: A pneumonia outbreak within a small herd of bighorn sheep near Diamond Valley, Alta., led to a culling of the animals.

• Human-Wildlife Conflict: To reduce conflicts between wildlife and human populations, animals that endanger human safety or cause property damage may be put to death.

• Example: Illegal culling of stray dogs in Karachi municipal body

Arguments in favour of culling

• Management of Invasive Species: Culling is frequently used to reduce or eliminate invasive species that pose a threat to native wildlife and plants.

• Few methods are expensive: Fencing is a poor measure that requires costly upkeep and is ineffective.

• Protection of Agriculture: Farmers and supporters of agriculture may be in favour of culling to shield livestock and crops from harm brought on by certain animals.

• Traditional repellents are not working: It appears that crop selection that historically repelled animals is no longer effective.

Arguments against culling

• Ethical considerations: Many people consider culling to be unethical because it involves intentionally causing harm or death to animals.

• Ineffectiveness and Short-Term Solutions: Some argue that culling is frequently ineffective and only provides a temporary solution to population-related issues.

• Ecological Consequences: Eliminating certain species from an ecosystem can cause imbalances in food chains and changes in the dynamics between predators and prey.

• Alternatives to Culling: Prior to using culling, other approaches like comprehensive wildlife management plans, habitat restoration, and non-lethal population control techniques should be explored.

Increased Zoonoses Due to Habitat Loss

• Altered Ecosystem Dynamics: Wildlife species may be forced to shift their behaviour or come closer to human settlements because of disturbances in their natural habitats resulting in disease transmission.

• Destruction of natural buffer zones: Natural buffer zones that would separate people and animals are destroyed, resulting in easier spread of disease from wild animals to people.

• Changes in Vector Dynamics: The distribution and abundance of vector organisms that spread disease such as ticks and mosquitoes can be impacted by habitat loss.

• Example: Brazil shows that habitat fragmentation leads to a greater risk of malarial transmission.

• Deforestation: It is bringing people and wildlife closer together. It resulted in a higher chance of pathogens and zoonotic diseases spreading from animals to people.

• Example: The Nipah virus, transmitted by fruit bats, typically resides in remote areas, yet deforestation has led to increased interaction between these bats and humans.

• Climate change: Increased global warming and melting of glaciers due to the release of greenhouse gases also resulted in increased zoonoses.

• Example: Outbreak of anthrax in northern Siberia in 2016

Way Forward

• Conservation and Habitat Restoration: Prioritize natural habitat conservation and restoration to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.

• One Health Approach: Encourage cooperation between veterinary, environmental, and human health experts to address health problems at the interface of people, animals, and ecosystems.

• Climate Change Mitigation: Implement strategies to reduce the effects of climate change and adapt to its effects on public health and biodiversity.

• International Cooperation: Facilitate international collaboration through sharing information and best practices to address global issues associated with habitat loss and zoonotic diseases.

•  Surveillance and Monitoring: Establish and improve surveillance systems to monitor wildlife, domestic animals, and human populations for potential zoonotic threats.

Tags:
Environment

Keywords:
Biodiversity Culling of animals Human-Animal conflict Habitat Habitat loss Zoonoses

Syllabus:
General Studies Paper 3

Topics:
Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation