Chasing away a rogue elephant has become a routine ordeal for the villagers of Khandothang, Majathang, and Doongkarling in Samtse. For years, a lone tusker, now so familiar to the community that they have named him Gembo, has wreaked havoc, leaving destruction in his wake. This week, fed up with the relentless damage to their homes and crops, the villagers united in yet another tense effort to drive the tusker back into the wild.
The lone elephant, known as Gembo, has repeatedly invaded the villages, causing widespread destruction.
Despite the construction of mitigation walls and the installation of electric fencing, Gembo continues to find new ways to enter the villages.
“Even with the walls and electric fencing meant to keep the elephants out, we continue to face the same relentless problem year after year. It has been going on for about four to five years now. We would be truly grateful if a permanent solution could be found,” said Karma Wangzin, a resident of Khandothang.
“The lone elephant has been a constant menace in our village, frequently entering our homes, causing damage, and vandalising our properties,” said Tanka Bdr Pradhan, another resident of Khandothang.
“This year, the elephant has caused even more devastation to our crops than last year. When it enters, it wreaks havoc everywhere, undoing all our hard work. We are renting land from others to grow our crops, but the elephant destroys everything. It is very disheartening,” said Uma Maya Phuyel, also a resident of Khandothang.
The villagers have had enough. With support from a few heavy machine operators, they deployed two excavators to comb the forested area where the tusker was last seen.
Forest officials used sirens and recordings of tiger roars in an attempt to flush the elephant out of hiding. Despite their best efforts, Gembo remained out of sight.
Shots were fired into the air in a desperate attempt to scare the animal into revealing itself, but there was still no sign of the massive beast.
Just when defeat seemed imminent, Gembo was spotted emerging from the shadows. Carefully and with determination, the villagers guided the elephant away from the village, driving it across the border by seven in the evening.
However, the villagers remained vigilant, guarding the entry point until 11 at night to ensure Gembo did not return.
Despite investing about Nu 4 M in mitigation walls and an additional Nu 1 M in electric fencing, the Samtse Gewog Administration reported that the elephant had found a new entry point by crossing the Budhuney River behind the gewog office.
To tackle this ongoing issue, the gewog plans to request the district administration to deploy guards in the area and will raise the matter at the upcoming Dzongkhag Tshogdu to seek more effective solutions.
While the villagers of Khandothang, Majathang, and Doongkarling succeeded in driving Gembo away, their victory was bittersweet.
As they returned home, one fear lingered in every heart. They knew all too well that Gembo’s return was only a matter of time, and their struggle was far from over.
Passang Dorji, Samtse
Edited by Sherub Dorji
