Phoksundo, Dolpa — Bhim Prasad Gurung of Ryachi, Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality-8, Dolpa has been rearing sheep for more than a decade. He started his business by rearing 35 sheep. However, he still owns the same number of sheep.
The only reason is that Gurung leaves the sheep at the shed when he along with his family members go to the upper region to collect yarsaghumba (caterpillar fungus)—the Himalayan Viagra. All the sheep that were left at shed never comes back to home. One fourth of the sheep fall prey to snow leopard. But still Gurung has been rearing the sheep.
Gurung of this area is just a case in point. All the locals have been facing the same problem. “It is like we have been rearing the sheep for snow leopard rather than for us. Every year during the yarsagumba harvest season, our cattle fall prey to snow leopard,” Gurung told to Hakahaki.
Now, the season to harvest yarsaghumba has started. All the locals have gone to high land to harvest yarsagumba. They spend almost 20 days at the high land. They have left all their cattle to Patan.
During a conversation with the reporter of Hakahaki, Gurung said that the snow leopard had killed around 100 sheep in the last 10 years. “We have been contributing a lot to protect the snow leopard. But we haven’t received any compensation yet,” he lamented.
Bhim Prasad Gurung’s Uncle, Sattal Gurung, who has been living in the same village, leaves more than 100 sheep at shed every year. But he brings only 75 to 80 sheep. Snow leopard kills other remaining sheep.
According to Gurung, all the cattle stay at the same shed when the villagers go to the highland to harvest yarsaghumba for two months. In between, a member of the family goes to the shed only to give salt and returns to the highland to pick yarsagumba. “That is why, we don’t have profit in domesticating the sheep. But this has become an addiction now,” Gurung said. The procedure to take compensation from the government is too complicated and technical. Hence, the locals have not been able to get the compensation.
Laxmi Gurung Rokaya, owner of Sundawa-based Samjhana Hotel, said the snow leopard killed 13 sheep last year. She has been leaving her cattle to a shed in Puduwachaur, situated at 4000 meters high. She said that the leopard kills her sheep in the same way every year.
“When we asked for compensation with the national park, the officials asked photos of the dead sheep with us. We think that it’s better to keep quiet rather than following all the process. We never asked for the compensation,” Rokaya said.
Rokaya said that there will be no one to take care of the cattle at the shed for two months. A member of the family goes to the shed to give salt once in a month. According to Rokaya’s experience, the lactating leopard kills more sheep than other.
There is a provision that the people will get Rs 10,000 compensation for one dead domesticated animal. But the victim should file an application at the administration office of national park.
The applicant, however, should submit the photos of the dead cattle, recommendation of Buffer Zone Consumer’s Committee or Rural Municipality or Municipality.
Rokaya said that the process to take compensation is very lengthy and complicated. “That is why, no one files application for the compensation,” she said, adding, “The process should be made simple.”
