Phidim, June 14

Farmers in Panchthar have lately been plagued by bears attacking yak sheds and killing cattle.

Locals claim that the bears have been terrorising them and killing their yaks for the past one year.

Apparently, the bears come from Singhlila National Area, across the Nepal-India border.

A yak herder of Chyangthapu Garjaman Gurung said that bears have killed more than one dozen animals till date.

“These wild beasts have been killing our sheep, mountain goats, and now yaks. They pose a great danger to humans too,” Gurung said. Cattle farmers are especially upset, as they have to invest a lot of money on cattle.

“The bears ruin yak sheds and kill our yaks, destroying millions of rupees worth of property,” yak herder Rajendra Rai of Sidin said. Yak products such as milk, ghee, and wool have become a good source of income for locals in the mountainous region.

However, bear attacks have troubled the farmers terribly.

District Forest Office Panchthar said bears living in hills and mountains were included in the list of species in need of conservation, but increasing number of bears has posed a problem for people living near their habitat.