Residents in Tsakaling village of Patshaling Gewog in Tsirang are raising safety concerns due to frequent sightings of an elderly male elephant in and around the village. The elephant has been causing damage to both property and posing a potential threat to their safety. According to the people, elephants began visiting the village a few years after their resettlement in 2008 from Tsakaling in Monggar.
In one of the latest incidents, an elephant destroyed a house in Tsakaling village last night. According to sources, the house is currently vacant since the owner has left for medical treatment.
In a similar incident, about three weeks ago, an elephant partially destroyed a semi-permanent house in the village. The incident happened at night when the house owner was away.
According to the residents, the elephant was sighted in the area for two days before the incident and was reported to the forestry officials. The house owner said that the tusker damaged properties worth over Nu 90,000.
“I was in Thimphu for my daughter’s treatment at the time of the incident. The elephant damaged my house. But with the assistance of my neighbours and my children, I managed to repair it. It took me two days to complete the repair works,” said Tshering Delkar, a resident of Tsakaling.
She added that with the frequent visits of the tusker in the area, it is increasingly becoming unsafe for her to live alone in the house. This is the third time that the elephant attacked her house.
“The elephant had previously attacked my kitchen in 2022 and last year. As a result, the kitchen became completely unstable and I had to dismantle it. The elephant usually visits the villages during night hours causing damage to our properties,” added Tshering Delkar.
Like Tshering, other villagers are concerned about their safety. They say it is risky for them to try to chase away the elephant since it usually visits the village at night.
“A few days ago, the elephant was wandering close to my house around 2 in the morning. I woke up and turned on the lights. Despite this, it moved slowly and started feeding on my banana trees. To chase it away, I had to light a fire outside the house and shout,” said Chimi Tshewang, a resident of Tsakaling.
“For the past three years, the elephant has been causing damage to properties, including houses and crops like maize. Some neighbours even endure sleepless nights, resorting to lighting fires and making noises to chase away the elephant. We have formed a group and successfully chased it away on several occasions in the past,” said Dorji Wangdi, another resident.
The people say the same elephant is still spotted around the outskirts of the village. The matter has been reported to forestry officials.
According to the Tsirang Forest Division, elephants tend to move to higher areas in search of food when they lose their habitats to developmental activities in the south. Tsakaling village shares a border with Singye Gewog in Sarpang.
The office advises people to refrain from openly displaying edible items in kitchens and houses when they are away.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
Edited by Sonam Pem
