People of Semji Village in Nubi Gewog, Trongsa suspect that a tiger has been preying on their cattle.
Recently, a tiger is suspected to have killed an ox in Semji.
The cattle owner, Ugyen Dorji, said that the ox was attacked on the night of April 20 and died the following day from injuries.
He said that he had sensed fear among his cattle a few days prior to the attack and had also noticed scratch marks on the ox’s forelimb and chest. On the night of attack, he heard the sound of cowbell ringing around mid-night but hadn’t suspected anything. “Later in the morning, when I checked the place I saw two tiger footprints. One was smaller in size.”
The villagers in Semji said that tigers seem to be frequenting the village. Villagers have lost three oxen to tiger attack this year alone.
Tashi Tshering, a resident of the village, who recently lost an ox, said that he didn’t even find the carcass. “I suspect the ox was eaten by a tiger as I saw many footprints of tiger.”
Tashi Lham, another villager, also lost an ox to tiger attack. “I found the carcass of my ox and there were tiger footprints in the place.”
The villagers are worried that tigers live close to their community. They also hear roars of tiger in the vicinity.
A villager, Kuenzang Pelden, said that the incidence of tigers attacking cattle in the shed is increasing with the declining practice of cattle grazing in the forest.
The villagers who lost their cattle to suspected tiger attacks said that they have not reported the cases to forestry officials for compensation because they did not receive any compensation in the past.
Meanwhile, the Forest Office in Trongsa said that there is no compensation scheme as of now. They however report wildlife depredation cases to higher authority for interventions.
The Global Tiger Centre (GTC) in Gelegphu in collaboration with forest division has installed series of camera traps in the locality to monitor the movement and population of the tiger. The GTC also has plans to radio collar the tiger to disseminate information to the villagers for preparedness and vigilance.
The Forest Office is also planning to install new electric fencing and revive the old one in affected areas in the next financial year.
Passang
