Leopard Killing Goats in Mechinagar, Locals Worried

People living in Mechinagar-2 and 4, already affected by wild elephants, are now facing a new problem—leopards are killing their goats almost every day.

According to Ward Chairman Deepak Baral of Mechinagar-2, the leopard hides in tea gardens and private forests during the day and comes out at night to attack goats and pigs kept in sheds. He said the area of Bahundangi, already struggling with regular elephant and monkey problems, is now also dealing with leopard attacks for the past 15 days.

“We were already facing elephant attacks and damage from monkeys. Now, the leopard is also killing our livestock every night,” said Baral. “We are now worried about the safety of our children.”

So far, more than two dozen goats and pigs have been killed. Baral said local tea garden workers, people walking early in the morning and evening, and school children are scared of a possible leopard attack.

“Until now, the leopard has only attacked animals,” he said. “But there’s no guarantee it won’t harm people next.”

To prevent harm to people, an iron cage trap has been set up to catch the leopard. Baral has also requested help from the Division Forest Office in Jhapa, wildlife organizations, and experts through social media. He believes there are at least two or more adult leopards in the area.

Two months ago, a leopard had also killed around a dozen goats in Bahundangi, Mechinagar-4. Although an iron trap was brought from the Jamanukhadi Community Forest in Kanakai and set up, the leopard has still not been caught, said Ward Chairman Arjun Kumar Karki.