Livestock farmers of Dagana’s Drujeygang Gewog have been losing their cattle to theft in recent years. They say it has become worrisome for them to send their cattle to graze freely in the forest without herders. Recently three oxen have been lost from the gewog and were later found tied at the slaughterhouse in Tsirang.
Pema Lhaden from Ambithang_Pangserpo Chiwog lost her ox, Baka, a week ago from a jungle along the Sunksoh River below the gewog.
A few livestock farmers from the gewog leave their animals in the area when they are busy with farm works at this time of year.
This is not the first time Pema lost her cattle. She also lost another oxen and a pregnant cow from Dagachhu area in the previous years.
Similarly, a family from Pangna_Patala Chiwog also lost two oxen from the forest below the chiwog last Wednesday. The family reported the case to the chiwog tshogpa and the tshogpa later reported it to the gewog mangmi.
Pema suspected that her lost ox must have been taken to the slaughterhouse in Tsirang. She along the family from Pangna_Patala Chiwog that lost two oxen went to the slaughterhouse day before yesterday, the last day of the Saga Daw, fearing that the oxen maybe slaughtered the next day as the auspicious month ends.
Upon reaching at the slaughterhouse, they found all the three oxen there.
They were able to rescue their oxen with the support from the police.
The cattle owners said they will now tie the oxen within the premises of their houses to avoid such theft in the future.
“My brother went in search of the ox but the thief has taken the ox through the jungle via another route. The thief has taken only the hybrid bull out of the four oxen. We came to know that the ox was taken forcefully by the thief. My neighbours suggested my family to look for the ox once in Tsirang,” said Lhamo.
Similarly, Pema Lhaden said, “I didn’t doubt my fellow villagers. My only doubt was on the slaughterhouse in Tsirang. When I saw my ox at the slaughterhouse, I called it by its name, Baka, and the ox stared at me. I couldn’t hold my tears in that moment.”
Besides Pema and the family from Pangna_Patala Chiwog, a few other livestock farmers in the gewog have been losing their cattle in the recent years.
Dorji, a resident of Ambithang_Pangserpo Chiwog said, “We have lost nine cattle from Ambithang_Pangserpo Chiwog in the last few years. We have lodged complaints with the police. However, they asked us for evidence or proof such as vehicle identification. If we had the evidence we would not have asked for their help. As a result, we couldn’t trace the thief.”
“People from other gewogs involve in such mischievous acts because people from our gewog don’t do such things. They must have stolen cattle during the day or night when there were no herders,” said Pema Tshewang, another resident of the chiwog.
Meanwhile, according to sources, a man in Dagana bought the oxen from another man and transported the cattle to the slaughterhouse in Tsirang.
BBS learnt that police in Dagana are looking for the suspect.
Pema Tshewang, Dagana
Edited by Phub Gyem
