Elephants loiter in Samtenling ravaging farms (Bhutan)
Kuensel Online
June 5, 2021
See link
https://kuenselonline.com/elephants-loiter-in-samtenling-ravaging-farms/
for photo.
Farmers in Samtenling, Sarpang have skipped their sleep for the past week
guarding their homes and farms against a herd of elephants that have
started damaging vegetables, maize, and chillies in the gewog.
The farm owners chase about 28 of them including the calves, almost every
night. Around 3am the herd of pachyderms disappears into the nearby thick
cover and sometimes across the border. The farmers said that doing this
every year has become daunting and without adequate measures to control and
compensate for the damage, they feel hopeless.
“The agriculture officials asked us to report and share photos but that did
not make any difference. There is nothing coming out of it. I stopped
sharing it now,” a farmer from Samtenling said.
The gewog extension office started to receive the reports of the damage on
May 27 through their social media group.
More than 10 households reported damage to crops and vegetables last week,
according to the gewog extension office. The herd damaged two acres of
maize and chillies in Samtenling. Minor damages on areca nut trees,
vegetables, and farm structures were also recorded.
The gewog agriculture extension officer, Jambay Lhamo said that the
frequent damages by the elephants were the impeding factor when it comes to
progress in farming. “We try to promote and develop agriculture but farmers
are discouraged because of the elephant attacks. The raid happens every
year, sometimes even before the harvest time,” she said.
The official added that it was risky for the residents’ homes too.
The gewog supported the farmers by providing free seedlings and replaced
the damaged crops so far. The insurance scheme that supported farmers with
minimum compensation was lifted in 2019, according to the official.
“It’s important to have a compensation scheme but once we have that in
place, even a minor damage is reported,” said Jambay Lhamo.
Kabita Gurung from Samtenling said that she lost almost 90 percent of
chillies planted in more than three acres after the herd raided the farm
for three days. “There is no solution to this now. Maybe clearing nearby
forest cover would help. There are fallow lands nearby, which is providing
a safe escape for the herd during the day and at night they raid nearby
farms,” she said.
She added that there was a compensation scheme that covered only the
permanent resident of the gewog. “It should also include other farmers
working in the gewog to make it sustainable,” said Kabita Gurung.
Only a single case of damage on crops was reported in last year. This is a
drop in the number of such cases from 25 which was reported to the Gelephu
range office in 2019.
The farmers have not sought help from the forestry officials since the
incidents occur late at night this time.
Forest range officials in Gelephu said that only the affected farmers come
together to chase the elephants. “There is a need to involve communities
during such incidents. We don’t have any extra measures than chasing the
herd away like the villagers are doing,” an official said.
The official added that the herds were seen mostly in summer. “They break
temporary shelters mostly while searching for salt and food items,” said
the official.
https://kuenselonline.com/elephants-loiter-in-samtenling-ravaging-farms/