The fear of leopards has increased so much in Bardiya that farmers are now afraid to go to the fields alone. After leopards started attacking people in fields, forests and even their homes, villagers are forced to work only in groups.

After 8 people died in leopard attacks in the district in the current fiscal year, human-wildlife conflict has become serious.

Ram Bahadur Tharu of Belbhar, Barbardiya Municipality-10, used to work alone in the fields without fear until a year ago. He said that due to the fear of leopards, farmers from the village are now forced to form groups and take turns to go to the fields.

This fiscal year, the villagers are very scared after leopards started killing people in wards 10 and 11 of this municipality. Not only in Barbardiya but also in all eight municipalities of Bardiya, people in settlements near forests are afraid to walk alone during the day due to the fear of wild animals.

'We are worried that a leopard will attack us sometime.' Farmers leave their fields and return home before evening,' said Tharu. 'We have reached the age of 70, this is the first time we are experiencing such a situation.'

Prem Kumari Tharu of Barbardiya-11 Belbhar said that leopards eat animals including pigs, goats, chickens and other animals kept at home. 'We leave our farm work as soon as evening falls and return home,' she said. 'Our children are afraid to go to school, go to the market and walk.'

On Poush 9, 52-year-old Pavitra Dangi of Barbardiya-10 Baidi died after being attacked by a leopard while she was cutting grass in the Fenapati community forest. Dinesh Chaudhary, 36, of Dafaiya, the same municipality-10, was attacked by a leopard on Poush 5 while he was defecating in the Perhawa Community Forest. He also died.

Khidni Tharu, 62, of the same municipality-11, was uprooting mustard in her garden on Magh 7 when she died in the leopard attack. On Mangsir 2, Gopi Tharuni, 63, of the same municipality-11, went to cut grass in Kalabelbhar and became a victim of the leopard, said Ram Gopal Chaudhary, Senior Forest Officer of the Division Forest Office, Bardiya.

Nanda Bahadur Rokaya, 36, of Gulariya Municipality-4, was attacked by a leopard on Magh 23 while he was going to cut grass in Janajagruti Community Forest, Barbardiya-10.

On July 30, Jagatrani Tharuni of Gulariya-11 Bhaisahi was killed by a leopard while she was harvesting paddy in the field. According to the Division Forest Office, the Forest Office has data that on August 5, 33-year-old Kavita Moktan of Gulariya-12 died in a leopard attack while she was cutting grass in the Kidwai Community Forest. The last time was on February 20, 6-year-old Aditya Tharu died in a leopard attack while he was going to give lunch to his grandfather who had gone to graze buffaloes in Rajapur Municipality-10 Kalabanjar.

So far this financial year, 8 people have lost their lives in leopard attacks and more than a dozen have been injured. During the same period, 2 people have died from leopard attacks and one person has died from rhinoceros attacks.

Locals have protested at the district administration several times after the number of deaths due to wild animal attacks did not stop. The victims had been pressuring the government to control leopards and tigers, saying, 'They should let them be killed.'

Conservationists say that leopards have started coming out as the number of tigers in Bardiya National Park and Katarniaghat Wildlife Reserve on the Indian border has increased. Ramesh Kumar Thapa, former chief conservation officer of Bardiya National Park, said that leopards have started entering villages as the number of tigers in Bardiya National Park and Katarniaghat Wildlife Reserve has increased. 'After the leopards could not find food, they started eating dogs in the villages and now they are hunting goats and cattle,' he said. 'After a fence was built to protect these animals, they have started attacking people for food.'

Forest officials estimate that there are about 100 leopards in community forests, parks and other areas of Bardiya. Ajit Tumbahamphe, head of the National Trust for Nature Conservation, Bardiya, says that a study has shown that Indian forest officials released problematic leopards in the Katarniaghat reserve due to a lack of food.

District Forest Chief Vijayraj Subedi said that since the problem of wildlife is complex, we are carrying out short-term and long-term programs. 'Work is being done to raise awareness among people, install fences between the forest and the population, protect the forest, capture and relocate problematic wildlife, and improve the habitat of wildlife,' he said.