Villagers have been struggling to cope with the situation overnight after a snow leopard entered the settlement and hunted down yaks.
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On Wednesday afternoon, the residents of Khambachen repeatedly heard the sound of snow leopards. Immediately, the shepherds brought the sheep from their herd closer to the settlement.
However, in the evening, Sonam Sherpa's two-year-old yak came to the herd and ate it. After that, the sheep scattered. Panjokla Sherpa, the chairman of the snow leopard sub-committee, narrated the scene of villagers struggling to control the hundreds of sheep that started running in panic, as they were scared.
The fear in the livestock remained until Friday. On Thursday and Friday, the sheep showed activities such as hiding near the house, not wanting to go out to pasture, and returning after being chased away. She said that the sound of snow leopards was also coming from the forest until Friday. At such times, the livestock stand upright, look in the direction of the sound, and run towards the house. Earlier, a leopard had eaten 12 buffaloes in the Kurlung pasture near the Sele Pass.
According to the subcommittee coordinator Sherpa, this is the first incident in the last decade of a domestic animal being hunted in front of a settlement. Every year, livestock keepers submit a complaint to the subcommittee about eating two to four buffaloes. But the leopard used to hunt when it was alone in the forest pasture. Local Nupu Sherpa says that after entering the settlement, people also became afraid.
Khambachhen is located at an altitude of 4100 meters on the way to the Kanchenjunga Himalayas. This is a major tourist destination. There is a lot of foreign and domestic tourists here from Falgun to Jestha and from Asoj to Mangsir. There are many foreign tourists.
The subcommittee under the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council has a rule to pay 10,000 rupees if a livestock is damaged. ‘The value of this yak killed by the snow leopard is at least 45,000,’ said Panjokla, ‘However, the amount in our fund and the rules we have made cannot be more than 10,000.’
The livestock keepers have repeatedly objected and complained about the amount of compensation. Nupu, who is also a tourism entrepreneur, claims that this has also created conflict between humans and wildlife.
The snow leopard usually roams in areas above 5,100 meters. ‘It is believed by the villagers that it has now reached the settlements due to lack of food in its habitat,’ Nupu added, ‘where it roared on Wednesday, its voice has been heard from the same area in recent days as well. This has also frightened people.’
The main food of the snow leopard is forest sheep (Naur). ‘Even domestic animals It's not that we don't hunt. But when we started hunting near the settlements, it became a new issue,' said Chair Penjokla.
In the subcommittee, locals have demanded construction of predator-resistant sheds in key locations, increase the amount for animal insurance to 30,000 to 40,000, provide animal subsidies, and provide bright solar lights to livestock keepers according to the weather, says Chair Sherpa. But she says the subcommittee doesn't have the budget to address this.
