In Zhemgang, residents of Trong and nearby settlements are bothered by a herd of stray cattle storming both residential areas and agricultural fields. The herd believed to be a hybrid cross of Guar and Mithun has been spotted openly roaming in the outskirts of town and nearby villages. The presence of these animals has raised concerns among the residents, who are urging the relevant authorities to take immediate action to ensure their safety and prevent any potential risks.
A herd of unidentified stray cattle is spotted frequently in Zhemgang town and nearby settlements. Residents claim the animals invade their farms, devouring their crops and posing risks to their lives.
Residents of Trong, Dhangkhar, and Dungbi villages say the unrestricted movement of the animal has led to a growing fear of possible encounters that could result in injuries.
Lham Dorji, a resident from Trong Gewog said, “the most affected is Trong village. The animals destroy kitchen gardens despite wire fencing as they can easily jump into our gardens damaging cardamom, vegetables, and other crops.”
“There are risks to human lives besides the damages they cause to the crops. If the government takes care of them it would be helpful because right now nobody takes care of these animals and they are freely moving around,” said Penjor, another resident from Trong Gewog.
“If it is the guar, we will have to run for our lives if we encounter them. They will attack people. I see it as a huge risk and very a dangerous animal,” said Tashi, a Resident from Trong Gewog.
The forestry officials of Zhemgang are aware of this and said they are currently assessing and exploring possible solutions.
They said the herd of stray cattle was left behind when the Wangdigang Mithun farm was moved to Samdrup Jongkhar last year. An official said if the situation becomes worse, they will catch the animals and hand them over to the livestock department.
The forestry officials say the animal is a hybrid descendant from the crossing of Wild Guar and Mithun and is quite human-friendly adding it does not pose as much risk as the guar.
Some nature conservation experts said the sighting of these animals in the settlement could be attributed to the changes in the environment forcing them to move or could also be due to predation by other animals in the wild.
Today, there are about 10 such stray cattle roaming the settlements of Trong, Dhangkhar and Dungbi villages. Residents say they have been sighting the animal in their area for about a year now.
Pema Samdrup, Zhemgang
Edited by Phub Gyem
