Bhutan in the age-old battle against wildlife

In the age-old battle against wildlife, farmers in eastern Bhutan have tried and tested endless methods to keep wild animals off their farms.

Mongar farmers have finally landed a solution that probably appears to be a success.

Serving more than just a decorative purpose, stuffed toys, those of tigers, have today replaced the traditional scarecrow in Mongar farms. And it has worked so far.

Farmer Jamtsho, 45, from Drepong gewog said the real-sized tigers, with almost original patterns and features, have done magic to their farm, which was frequently attacked by monkeys that came in troops of not less than 50.

The tigers that cost about Nu 1,500 from shops in Mongar town are neatly placed at an elevation in the field. It appeared genuine and succeeded in frightening other animals, especially monkeys.

Jamtsho remembers constructing makeshift huts and spending countless nights there, guarding his farm.

He said, if they left the farm briefly, to attend events like village zomdu, half their yield would be gone.

“All our efforts would go to waste,” he said, adding they had to compete with the monkeys, wild boars and porcupines.

Jamtsho said the wild animals became such a nuisance, farmers tried clearing bushes around the fields, erecting numerous scarecrows and constructing fences using best materials.

When he nearly lost all hope, a simple stuffed toy did the trick. And today, not a single monkey can be spotted near his field.

“It’s no exaggeration but the tiger eased my life drastically,” he said.

His neighbour, a former gup, Pema Tshewang, said for the last two years, the tigers, almost a metre long, had been protecting his three-acre maize field.

He said they noticed monkeys disappearing for weeks after spotting the tiger in the field.

“But you should know how to place it,” he said, adding presenting the tiger behind a thin layer of bush or amid twigs made it look even more real.

It was often removed during the night and off-harvest season.

“Monkeys attacked mostly during the day,” he said.

Rinzin, 49, from Thangrong gewog, said many farmers in villages across Mongar preferred to use the tiger in place of other scarecrows.

“Some friends introduced it about two years ago,” he said. “This came as a blessing to poor farmers like us, who spent sleepless nights guarding our farms, only to be stripped off our yields at the end of the year.”

Source: Kuenselonline