GAUSHALA: Wild animals have destroyed the winter crops in a dozen villages in the northwest of Mahottari district.

Herds of wild animals have damaged the crops at Khayarbani, Raghunathpur, Gaindhabhetpur, Pokharbhinda, Sangrampur, Nigaul, Sonama, Manara, Itaharwakatti, Kataiya, Ekdara, Bathnaha, Sandha among other settlements bordering India, farmers said.

The animals that strayed into the fields near the villages from the nearby forests have destroyed vegetable, lentil and oilseed crops and fruits on hundreds of bighas of land. Mostly the animals such as neelgai (blue bull), ghorgaddar and wild boars are said to come in hordes at night and graze on the crops.

Satya Narayan Mandal, a farmer from Manara, said that the wild animals have destroyed crops worth millions of rupees. He said sometimes the animals also attack the locals and pose risk especially to children and the elderly.