Thromde: Thimphu Thromde has collected Nu 128,200 penalty amount since 2013 from owners of animals that strayed into the city area.

Vagrant animals are impounded at the thromde’s enclosure in Changangkha from where owners take their animals back after paying the fine.

On January 19, thromde impounded 14 stray horses.

Tashi Tshering, assistant engineer with thromde’s environment division, said that money collected is used to buy feed for the impounded animals.

Impounded animals are fed salt twice a day along with fodder and Karma Feed.

After impounding the animals that are found straying in the city, the thromde notifies the owners to re-claim the animals within a week’s time. A daily fine of Nu 300 is imposed on the owner.

The enclosure’s caretaker said that most of the owners come and take back their animals. Sometimes, however, no one turns up to claim the animals. The thromde then releases the unclaimed animals into the forests above Dochula and Phajoding.

Tashi Tshering said that most of the vagrant horses come from Lingshi and Phajoding and cattle from Punakha. During winter, majority of the stray animals that are impounded are horses.

It is believed that the Layaps when they come on business tours leave their horses to wander in the forest but eventually lands up entering the city area.

Last year, 990 horses and 283 cattle were impounded by the thromde, which deploys five people – three along the Babesa expressway and two near the dzong area – to locate vagrant animals.

Thromde officials said that straying animals in the city area pose accident risks.

Younten Tshedup