By Narendra Dhakal

Gorkha, Mar. 15: Loss of cattle due to the attack of wild animals has been increasing over the years, as the figures have shown. Due to the shortage of wildlife feed, the number of wild attacks on domestic animals for the formers’ survival has been on the rise lately.
In the current Fiscal Year (FY) itself, the wild animals have preyed on 202 cattle of 166 farmers in Gorkha.
Altogether 166 farmers had applied for compensation in Manaslu Conservation Area while there are many cases of wild attacks which have gone unregistered.
“Now many farmers have been aware of the compensation scheme they are entitled to,” said Bishwa Babu Shrestha, Chief, contact office of the conservation area. “The farmers are being informed about compensation through the Division Forest Office and its subsidiaries.”
This has seemingly increased the number of applications filed for compensation, added Shrestha.
According to the data, mostly she-goats are attacked by leopards. In the current FY, the leopards have attacked at least 136 goats so far.
The leopards have also preyed on 47 he-goats, seven oxen, three sheep and three buffalo calves.
The farmers have been provided with Rs. 1,787,900 as compensation to the damages caused by the wildlife attack. “Complying with the directive on compensation from the damage by wildlife 2012, we distributed the compensation amount with approval of local levels,” said Shrestha. “No human casualties from wildlife attack have been recorded yet in Gorkha.”
At least 49 cattle have been attacked by leopards in the month of Falgun itself. The office informed that Rs. 573,250 was provided to the farmers in Falgun.
The leopard attack has adversely affected Gorkha Municipality, Palungtar Municipality, Barpak Sulikot, Bhimsen Thapa, Sahid Lakhan and Ajirkot Rural Municipality. “The office has provided compensation of Rs. 185,000 to the farmers in the months of Shrawan and Bhadra, 227,500 in Ashoj, Rs. 222,000 in Mangshir, Rs. 246,000 in Poush and Rs. 258,500 in Magh month,” said Suman Adhikari, Information Officer.
As three months of the current FY still remain, the number is likely to increase.
Last year, the office had received 81 applications for compensation against wildlife attack on cattle, according to which, Rs. 933,100 was provided to the farmers.
The directive has clarified that up to Rs. 10,000 compensation could be provided if goats, sheep and calves were killed by the wild animals, said Office Chief Shrestha.
He said that the directive entails compensation up to Rs. 30,000 in case of casualty of ploughing oxen, cows, and buffaloes.
Likewise, if the wild animals cause damage to households and granaries, up to Rs. 10,000 compensation is provided, added Shrestha. The contact office was established in 2019, with a motive to minimise the losses of domestic animals by wild lives.
Even though the office was established to minimise the damages incurred by farmers in Manaslu Conservation Area, there are fewer complaints from the area.
“More damages are seen in those areas where the wild lives do not get enough feed in their habitat,” Shrestha added. “As Manaslu area provides enough feed to the wild lives, the number of attacks is less in the area.”
Only a few cases of attacks from leopards and wild dogs are heard in the Manaslu area, he added.
As the area is far from the headquarters, the farmers from Manaslu do not visit the office for compensation, the stakeholders believe.
The office has stated that compensation would be provided if wild animals like elephant, rhino, tiger, bear, leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard, wolf, wild dog, boar, wild buffalo, alligator, Gauri Gai and python attack the cattle.