Nima Wangdi | Trashiyangtse

The problem of wild dogs preying on cattle in Bumdeling gewog of Tashiyangtse has been increasing over the years.

Villagers said the wild dogs could be sighted around the villages.

Ugyen Tenzin, 66, from Guina village said wild dogs killed four of his cattle this year alone. “Wild dogs killed two cows last year.”

He said while his wife was looking after an injured calf in the forest recently, another calf was killed. “There were cases before but not this serious.”




“The wild dogs keep roaming in the village and sometimes they come too close to my house too,” Ugyen Tenzin said. “The wild dogs killed about four Tshethar bulls at Phudung.”

He said villagers used to get compensation if big cats killed cattle, but he isn’t sure if farmers are still getting the compensation. “For wild dogs, we don’t get anything.”

Villagers believe that the menace of wild dogs is increasing in the locality because development activities have disturbed sacred places in the valley.

Tharpala from Baling said the wild dogs killed one of the calves recently. He said it is becoming a problem now.




Kinley Lhamo, 30, from Betsamang said the wild dogs killed two of her calves recently.

“We usually leave the cattle in the wild unattended at this time of the year, but now we have to herd them every day,” she said.

 Kinley said she has been herding cattle for more than 10 years and wild dogs were never a problem before like they are now.

She said wild dogs are preying on the cattle because the village is getting forested due to fallow lands around.