Catholic nun among 16 given permission to kill wild boars attacking farms in southern India

Sr. Jofi Joseph shows the roots of a cassava plant in the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel's garden in Muthukadu, Kerala, India, that had been eaten by wild boars. (Courtesy of Jofi Joseph)

Sr. Jofi Joseph shows the roots of a cassava plant in the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel's garden in Muthukadu, Kerala, India, that had been eaten by wild boars. (Courtesy of Jofi Joseph)

A Catholic nun was among 16 people in Kerala who have received court permission to kill wild boars that destroy their farms.

The Kerala High Court on Sept. 18 gave special permission to Sr. Jofi Joseph and other members of a farmers group after they complained about the menace from the boars.

"Whatever we plant, the pigs destroy them within a few days, and we are not able to procure anything from our farm," Joseph, a member of the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel, told Matters India on Sept. 20.

She said the court order gave the nuns at her St. Agnes Convent and other farmers in Muthukadu (which means "thick forest"), a village in Kerala's Kozhikode district, much relief.

"Many of our sisters were engaged in farming in our 4-acre land during the pandemic, but we got no produce," said Joseph, showing empty roots of cassava plants they had planted. The nuns' vegetable garden also grows cashew, areca, coconuts and other varieties of plants.

The court order allows Joseph to keep a licensed gun or any other weapon to kill wild boars. The only condition is that she has to inform the Kerala Forest Department when she kills a boar.

Jijo Joseph, a Catholic neighbor who was also among the 16 to receive the court permission, said the villagers had filed the suit with the High Court under the aegis of We-Farm, a group involved in protecting the rights of farmers in Kerala.

We-Farm was found by Carmelite Fr. Jose Thundappara in 2014, when some villagers were caught in conflict with the Forest Department for fishing in a reservoir inside the forest. The patron for the group is Bishop Remigius Maria Paul Inchananiyil of Thamarassery.

Jijo Joseph said the wild animals not only destroy agriculture, but cause various diseases.

"The Nipah [virus] affected areas are also affected by the wild boars, and the possibility of wild boars spreading Nipah cannot be ruled out," he told Matters India.

The farmers have also requested the Forest Department to allow them to not only kill the wild boars, but eat or share the meat with other farmers who were victims of wildlife attack.

Jofi Joseph said her convent is also a member of the We-Farm movement and is actively involved for the protection of farmers rights in the village.

This story originally appeared on Matters India.

Latest News

Pope Francis meets with President Donald Trump, left, on the occasion of their private audience, at the Vatican, May 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool, File)

Donald Trump's trip to Pope Francis' funeral puts a sharper focus on their clashes over the years

Pope Francis prays in front of the Western Wall, in Jerusalem's Old City May 26, 2014. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File)

A deleted condolence after pope's death revealed tension between Israel and the Vatican

Lorna Gold, executive director of Laudato Si' Movement, speaks during a digital wake for Pope Francis on April 25, 2025. Laudato Si' Movement convened the wake. (NCR screengrab/YouTube)

Digital wake remembers Pope Francis' global impact on the climate movement

ope Francis waves to members of the Vincentian religious orders and lay communities Nov. 9, 2022, after blessing Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz' sculpture "Sheltering." The statue, which features a dove laying a blanket over a homeless person, was to be used in conjunction with a Vincentian project to build homes for some 10,000 people in 160 countries. (CNS/Vatican Media)

Pope Francis leaves a largely unknown legacy of artistic inspiration