BAJHANG, Jan 30: With the sudden plunge in temperature after heavy snowfall in the mountain region, wild animals and birds have moved to human settlement areas to escape the bitter cold. However, they have turned victims at the hands of locals and poachers.
These endangered wild creatures which approached the human settlements in search of warmth had no idea that they would be killed by poachers. The rare wild animals and birds such as Himalayan Tahr, ghoral, deer, pheasant, tiger, and bear among other have been reportedly killed by the locals of Suil, Mayana, Pugar, Naura, Wari, Kotdeval, Masta, Sunikot Dhamena, Dantola, Kanda, Bhamchaur and Surma, Daulichaur among other villages. These endangered animals get killed against the laws and their meat sold at exorbitant prices.
As the poachers don't get good money at the local markets, they reach the district headquarters Chainpur where they can sell the meat for double the price they get in villages, informed Bire Aidi, a local of Talkot Rural Municipality.
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According to him, poachers have set traps in various areas of forests to kill the wild species. He further informed that sounds of bullets are very much common in villages after snowfall. As per the locals, they have not slaughtered goats and hens in their houses since mid- October. There are altogether 40 households in Talkot and 27 of them are into poaching and hunting.
According to Ranjan Bohara of Jayaprithvi Municipality-11, every year after snowfall, youths head towards the hills carrying guns, traps and other weapons for hunting and poaching. After hunting together, the hunters share the spoils. While some use it for household purpose, some sell it for earning money. In the district headquarters Chainpur, they sell the meat of Himalayan Tahr for Rs 12,000 per kg and Danfe for Rs 3,000 or above, informed Kalu Bohara.
"In the last two months, I have sold meat worth Rs 83,000 in Chainpur," Bohora said. His house is just few minutes away from the District Administration Office (DAO) and Forest Office but still he has no fear of hunting.
"Among the customers, government officials are the ones who buy the meat more than others," Bohara added.
Though police have announced to take stern action against the hunters and poachers, it has not been able to nab any of them so far, said Inspector Madhav Bishwokarma of the District Police Office (DPO). He claimed that police have no involvement is this illegal act. "If we are provided with evidence we will surely take action against them," said Inspector Bishwokarma.
