By Our Correspondent, Morang, April 21: The stray dogs have been causing trouble to the farmers at Ward 7 of Rangeli Municipality as they attack the livestock.

In the last one month, the dogs killed 10 goats at Labtali area in Ward 7.

“Saving the goats has been a difficult task for us. One of my goats was surrounded by 15-20 stray dogs while it was grazing in the field around a fortnight ago. I could rescue the goat from the dogs but it died during treatment,” said Ram Chandra Sahani, a local.

Rabniya Rishidev, another local, informed that he’s lost four goats to the dogs in the past one year.

“All the goats that were attacked weighted more than 20kg. Selling the goats is a source of income for me but the dogs ruined it. It is difficult to support our livelihood like this,” said Rishidev.

According to the locals, the stray dogs have been hunting livestock by forming a group as they do not get enough food to eat from the community.

“It is not just the goats. The dogs even attack cows and buffalos as well as calves. The dogs even destroyed the maize filed due to which I had to cultivate it again,” said Surendra Mandal, another local.

Other than the livestock, the street dogs, which gather in more than a dozen in number, also try to attack the pedestrians and motorcyclists.

The situation is similar in the neighbouring areas of Labtali as well.

“There is the terror of street dogs here as well. A week ago, the dogs killed four goats,” said Jeevan Kumar Das, a local from Ward 4 of Sunbarsi Municipality.

The local levels are also aware of the problems of stray dogs but they have not taken any concrete measures yet, said locals.

“Recently, the dogs also attacked two pigs, two cows and three goats owned by Som Marandi in Ward 3 of Rangeli. Such incidents are increasing and we are planning effective measures to mitigate it,” said Dipak Khatiwada, chief at the animal and birds division of Rangeli Municipality.

The municipality is also planning to conduct a programme to castrate the stray dogs so as to control their population.

The neighbouring local levels of Rangeli such as Pathari Shanishchare Municipality and Ratuwamai Municipality have been conducting vasectomy of the male street dogs for the past two years.