Langtang National Park provides relief to farmers affected by wild animals

Rasuwa, March 17:

The Langtang National Park has distributed relief assistance to farmers in Rasuwa who suffered crop and property losses due to attacks by wild animals.

According to park officials, a large portion of the damage in areas surrounding the national park has been caused by wild boars. So far, 157 farmers have reported losses caused by wildlife.

Rupesh Lama, an official at the park, said that 111 farmers were affected by wild boars, 34 by monkeys, 11 by leopards and one by a bear.

For the current fiscal year, the national park has provided nearly Rs 1.5 million in cash assistance to affected farmers in a bid to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Lama said some farmers are yet to receive the relief amount.

The relief has been distributed in line with the Wildlife Damage Relief Distribution Guidelines, 2080 BS.

Local residents said wildlife-related damage is common in the district. According to them, bears and wild boars mainly affect the northern areas of Rasuwa, while monkeys cause more problems in the southern belt.

The national park also provides compensation to people injured in animal attacks. Relief for injured victims is provided based on the medical expenses incurred at government health facilities and hospitals.