Human-wildlife conflict is one of biggest concerns for the people living in rural pockets. Every year, crops are lost to the wild animals and some even lose their lives. Tashichholing Gewog in Samtse is one of the many Gewogs where wild elephants frequently damages crops and properties. Our reporter, Karma Wangdi, says some of the farmers in the Gewog have left their land fallow and some are even relocating to safer places.
Farmers say Tashicholing is a nice place to live. It also has a favourable climatic condition for growing any kinds of crops, but wild elephants rampaging their area, destroying crops, houses and posing danger to human life, are making them jittery.
Ugyen Wangmo, a farmer in Tashichholing, says they will not be able to carry on with their farm works, if the wild elephants continue to destroy their crops.
Some of the farmers in Peljorling village had to even leave their houses and shift to a safer place.
The farmers whose paddy fields are located closer to the border area have been the victims to wild elephants every season. They have left their land fallow from this year. The farmers say elephants have started coming to their field even during broad daylight.
Despite regular patrolling and various preventive measures by the village community in coordination with the forest range office, farmers say, the animals somehow manage to get into the villages.
In May this year a 68 year old man from Peljorling village was killed by the elephants. The victim was Bakta Singh Rai’s father. “The incident has left a huge scar in our family,” said Bakta Singh Rai.
One of the measures introduced to keep the wild animals at bay was the solar powered fencing. However, the farmers say the measure has proved to be futile. “Solar power has stopped functioning,” said Kuenzang Wangmo, who is a famer in Peljorling, “I heard that electric fencing in other dzongkhag is effective in keeping away the wild elephants.” She says if they had electric power supply instead of solar power, they would have as effective measures.
The Ranger of Sibsoo Range Office, Rin Dorji, says fault lies with the people. He says the only place for farmers to take their livestock animals for grazing is in Sasboti forest plantation area during the day time and they do not bother to close the entry gate while returning home in the evening. “Wild elephants easily make its way through open gate get into the villages and trouble them.”
Meanwhile, the Tashochholing Gup, Nanda Raj Giri, says they are trying every means to keep the wild elephants away by initiating several measures like conducting regular patrolling, constructing watch towers and procuring torch cell to be distributed among the farmers for patrolling. “We have constructed three watch towers around the Sasboti forest plantation area. We have procured a total of 30 torch cell to be distributed to the farmers.”
The forest Range office in coordination with gewog office has also come up with new initiatives like constructing artificial water holes and salt leak area. They initiated mass plantation of fruits trees and bamboo plants to keep the wild elephant confined within the Sasboti forest plantation area.
Senior Ranger, Pema Thinley, said they are not sure how successful the new initiatives would be.
