Wildlife: The people of Martsalas in Samdrupjongkhar are excited. They are also worried about what they could have. A wild boar attack is serious in this village.
This is the time when families spend sleepless nights, guarding their fields.
“This is the problem. They [wild animals] take away everything,” said Leki Wangmo, a farmer.
To make up for the loss, farmers are compelled to depend on dairy production.
Tshogpa Trendal Zangpo said that farmers have to guard the fields with clothes and sacks to keep away wild animals.
“Although it helps for a while, most of the time they destroy the fence too,” he said. “We had once requested for electric fencing but we didn’t get since we have scattered settlement and it was difficult to cover the entire village.”
Famers expressed they are hoping the gewog office or government would come up with some options to help them combat wildlife conflict.
Another farmer, Lhamo, said it was not only the paddy that they destroy. Farmers who do not have paddy lose entire maize to wild animals too.
“Just when it was time to harvest, I lost my whole 30 decimals of maize last year,” she said. “I still remember I cried because I had great hopes to earn a little from selling maize.”
Some farmers said that at least those who have paddy fields are better compared to those where wild boars sometimes doesn’t even let the maize grow because they dig the soil and destroy the maize completely.
However, gup Yenten Dorji said there is no plan to construct electric fence in the 11 Plan. “Since villagers have considered road and water supply as priority, Gewog Development Grant has been diverted in this area.”
Yangchen C Rinzin,  Samdrupcholing

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