People in the two Gewogs of Loong-nyi and Wangchang in Paro have reported missing cattle to their respective gewog offices yesterday.
The villagers reported that five cattle have been slaughtered while 10 others are missing. The people are worried since the incidents have occurred after the ban on import of meat.
The villagers said that they found cattle tethered to trees in the grazing areas on several occasions. They suspect that miscreants have done that to prevent the cattle from returning to their sheds and then were slaughtering them during the night.
Phub Dorji, a villager from Wangchang Gewog, said that their cattle normally graze in his field and one morning he found a nylon rope around the neck of one of his neighbor’s ox.
He also said that recently a group of men had come to the villages looking to buy cattle.
Villagers are especially concerned as this is the time when cattle are left to graze freely in the mountains.
A few villagers who went looking for their missing cattle found the waste removed from the intestines of the cattle buried under the soil and ropes used to tie the cattle.
However, this is not the first time villagers have lost their cattle.
Zeko, a farmer in Loong-nyi Gewog, said that he lost two milking cows last year while his neighbor lost one cow. “We looked everywhere but didn’t find the cows or their remains,” he said.
Kuenzang Rinzin, the Gup of Wangchang Gewog, said that villagers are already scared because of the pandemic and these incidents have made added to their fears. “Villagers are worried that the miscreants may attack them if they catch the miscreants in the act,” said the Gup.
He said that they have advised the people of the villages and neighboring villages to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities.
Meanwhile the Gewogs have reported the case to the police.
Namgay Wangchuk
