Mustang. Eight snow leopards from two herds have died in an attack by a snow leopard. In Dharkajung village of Waragung Muktikshetra Rural Municipality-5, a snow leopard entered the cage of a local snow leopard farmer and killed eight snow leopards, Waragung Muktikshetra-5 Ward Chairman Surendra Gurung informed.
Four goats and one mare out of 50 of snow leopard farmer Ngathar Gurung have died in an attack by a snow leopard.
The snow leopard entered the area of a stone and mud shed in the village at midnight and killed the snow leopards, causing damage, said Gurung, a snow leopard farmer. The leopard, he said, caused a loss of Rs 220,000 when the leopard died due to the snow leopard attack.
Similarly, another leopard breeder from the same place, Pemma Gurung, also lost three leopards, including the leopard’s mother and cub, to a leopard attack. The livestock breeder, Pemba, said that the leopard climbed onto the roof of the cowshed and entered the cowshed at midnight and killed three out of 52 leopards.
According to him, another cub was also injured in the leopard attack. Pemba, a livestock farmer, said that the loss of more than Rs 65,000 was incurred due to the damage caused by the snow leopard attack.
After receiving information that a snow leopard had killed a snow leopard in Dharkajung, Mustang, a police team from the Kagbeni Police Station along with the rural municipality chairperson Rinjing Namgel Gurung, ward chairperson Gurung, and representatives of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Jomsom reached the spot.
In the presence of local people’s representatives, snow leopard owners, locals, ACAP, and security agencies, a report was collected with details of the incident and the damage assessment, said Police Inspector Bishal Adhikari, Information Officer at the District Police Office. .
Annapurna Conservation Area Project Program Manager and snow leopard expert Dr. Madhu Chhetri also observed the incident site. Snow leopard expert Dr. Chhetri suggested that the concerned bodies should pay attention to adopting necessary adaptive measures to reduce conflict between snow leopards and humans.
He pointed out that snow leopards often enter the huts near the settlements and damage the huts, so the first need is to improve the huts. He mentioned that research should be conducted to increase food in highlands and forests to reduce the risk of wildlife and snow leopards.
Rural Chairperson Gurung expressed concern over the increasing conflict between humans and snow leopards in Mustang. Municipality Chairperson Gurung claimed that due to climate change, the food of snow leopards has started to fall from the highlands to the valleys and while following it, the snow leopards are damaging livestock sheds.
Chairperson Gurung said that due to the decrease in drinking water sources in highlands and the decrease in grass growth in pastures, the food of snow leopards is coming closer to the Naur settlements. Chairman Gurung suggested that it is necessary for the concerned offices to introduce grant programs for the construction of reliable infrastructure to protect the livestock of local farmers.
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