The Giant African snail invasion in Kerala is now almost complete, with the last district, Idukki, too falling prey to the slimy critters. For the past several months, farmers in the high ranges of Idukki have been cursing this invasive species.
Although it took more than half a century for the Giant African snail ( Achatina fulica) to spread all over Kerala ever since its recorded arrival at Elappully in Palakkad district in the 1950s, the last two decades saw rapid growth of the species. As many as 10 districts were infested by 2014. Thrissur district was invaded in 2016. And it conquered the last of the districts, Idukki, by 2021.
“Its presence in Idukki has puzzled us. We were under the impression that the species would not survive in high-altitude weather,” said Keerthy Vijayan, a key researcher of Giant African snails in Kerala.
