Walking out of home has become worrying for the residents of Langthil gewog in Trongsa. Frequent sighting of bears in the gewog has put fear into their hearts. People say they have spotted about seven adult bears frequenting their villages in the past two months.
Villagers say the bears are often seen raiding fruits in the orchards, along the highways and most often in the village periphery.
Recently, Lethro saw a bear on a cypress tree near his home at the old Langthil town. He said the bear was trying to build a nest.
“I heard the dogs barking early in the morning. I thought monkeys had come into the fields. But I was shocked to see a bear. I immediately reported to the forest officials.” added Lethro.
He said the bear stayed on the tree the entire day and towards the evening, escaped into the nearby jungle.
Likewise, in Yuendruchhoeling Chiwog, villagers encountered a bear that was caught in a trap. The bear had come to feed on a guava tree. Forest officials later rescued the bear.
Sonam Tshering, a resident of Yuendruchhoeling said, “We don’t know who made the trap but it had caught the bear. It was near the road. Thankfully, the string on the trap was strong, otherwise, the bear could have harmed people.”
Karma Pelden, another resident said, “Many people saw the bear that got trapped. It cried out for quite some time. Now, when we go out of the house, we are always afraid we will come across a bear that will attack us.”
“We did not see bears come to our village when we were young. But now they have started coming to our doorsteps. We don’t know what to do now.”
So far, no villager in the gewog has been harmed,” said Dechen, a resident from Bayling.
People believe that bears come to their village mainly for the fruits. Villagers in Langthil grow guava, orange, papaya and avocado. Another reason for the increased sightings, according to the people, is because of the fallow lands that have turned into forests.
Meanwhile, forest officials say there is nothing that can be done except for people to stay vigilant. The officials say people should report the sightings so that they can capture the animals and release them away from settlements.
Passa, Trongsa
Edited by Sangay Chezom
