The Forest Department has amended the Kerala Wildlife (Protection) Rules, 1978, revising the timeline to make the declaration regarding possession of any animal article or trophy. This will provide immunity from legal action and enable the department to issue valid ownership certificates.

The notification has been issued based on the High Court order in October 2025. The HC nullified the ownership certificate issued to Malayalam actor Mohanlal, who possesses two pairs of ivory tusks and 13 ivory artefacts. A petition was moved in the HC against the government's decision to grant permission to Mohanlal to make a declaration of the artefacts and then issue an ownership certificate to the actor.

According to the petitioner, the government acted in favour of the actor by not publishing the notification in the official gazette and that there was no proper inquiry as to whether the possession of the ivory articles by the actor was lawful in terms of the 1972 Act. It was also cited that criminal proceedings had already been initiated against Mohanlal, at the instance of certain complainants, and those proceedings were pending before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Perumbavoor.

The HC struck down the government order granting permission for declaration and the ownership certificates issued later, terming it illegal and unenforceable. The HC observed that the state government is at liberty to issue a fresh notification, in terms of Section 40(4) of the 1972 Act, for conferring the immunity to persons or a class of persons envisaged under the statutory provision.

As per the new notification issued by the Forest department on March 4, a person in possession of any animal or animal article or trophy (other than a musk of a musk deer or horn of a rhinoceros) or salted or dried skin derived from an animal specified in Schedule I shall make a declaration within 45 days from the date of announcement of 'Kerala Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Rules, 2026'.

Earlier, when the Kerala Wildlife (Protection) Rules, 1978 came into force on June 13, 1978, there was a specific time limit of thirty days from the date of commencement of the rules for the declaration of animal articles and trophies. Subsequently, rules were published on July 1, 1986 and a three-month time limit for declaration was given to persons in custody of animal trophies. Later, a time-limit was given on or before September 30, 1991. The cut-off date to make such a declaration expired on September 30, 1991.

Similarly, under sub-rule(2) of rule 2 of the Declaration of Wildlife Stock Rules, 2003, a period of 180 days was given to the public for the declaration of any wild animal article or trophy from the date of publication of such rules. The notification issued by the department said that the government has decided to give one more chance to persons or a class of persons to declare the control, custody or possession of any animal article or trophy with them.