Farmers across Nepal's mid-hills are dedicating more time and effort to safeguarding their crops from persistent wildlife, a challenge exacerbated by a growing rural exodus. This escalating human-wildlife conflict threatens the livelihoods of communities reliant on traditional terraced agriculture, where maize, millet, rice, legumes, and potatoes are cultivated on steep slopes.
A Daily Battle Against Crop Raiders
The primary culprits in this agricultural struggle are rhesus macaques, which often raid fields in large troops during daylight hours. Farmers resort to slings, sticks, and improvised noise-making devices to deter these highly persistent animals, often spending hours chasing them from one field to another. The damage doesn't cease after dark; wild boars root through crops and disturb soil, while Indian crested porcupines also move through fields at night, contributing to significant losses for already vulnerable farming families.
Rural Exodus Exacerbates the Crisis
The intensifying wildlife conflict is unfolding alongside a significant trend of rural out-migration. Younger generations are increasingly leaving their ancestral communities in search of better education, employment opportunities, and access to essential services like healthcare. As working-age residents depart, fewer individuals remain to cultivate and protect farmland. Terraces that once supported multiple workers are now either less frequently tended or left fallow, making them easier targets for wildlife. A study from Mangalsen Municipality in Achham District highlighted this link, connecting monkey and wild boar conflicts with declining agricultural productivity and increased out-migration.
Desperate Measures and Missed Support
In their desperation, some communities have resorted to dangerous and inhumane methods to protect their crops. The National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) has documented severe cases involving mass drownings of animals and the use of high-voltage traps. Compounding the issue, many affected farmers are unaware of existing financial support. Nepal has a compensation system for wildlife-related crop damage, yet the NTNC reports that approximately 80% of eligible farmers do not know they can claim compensation, preventing them from accessing crucial relief.
Seeking Sustainable Solutions
Researchers are exploring potential solutions to this complex problem. Sabina Koirala, a PhD researcher studying human-monkey conflict, suggests that Nepal's reforestation policies from the 1970s, which favored fast-growing Australian pine, may have inadvertently contributed to the issue. These pine forests do not offer macaques the diverse food resources found in native forests, potentially driving them to farmland. Koirala advocates for planting native fruit-bearing trees to provide macaques with more natural food sources and reduce their reliance on agricultural crops. Other proposed measures include cultivating crops less attractive to wildlife, implementing community patrols, and improving awareness and access to the compensation system. However, consistent, large-scale evidence for which combination of measures works best across Nepal’s diverse mid-hill landscapes remains limited. For farming communities already grappling with migration and labor shortages, finding a sustainable way to protect crops while coexisting with wildlife remains a significant and ongoing challenge.