Snow Leopard Attack Kills 21 Livestock in Upper Mustang

Mustang: A snow leopard attack in Chumjung, Lomanthang-4, Upper Mustang, has resulted in the death of 21 sheep and mountain goats, with seven others injured.

According to the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Lomanthang, the incident occurred last Saturday night at the shed of local farmer Gyacho Gurung. ACAP Chief Umesh Paudel reported that 10 mountain goats and 11 sheep were killed out of a herd of 315.

Following the incident, a team including ACAP representatives, the District Police Office, and livestock technicians inspected the site on Sunday morning. The attack occurred despite the livestock being kept within a gabion wire enclosure. Preliminary estimates place the financial loss at Rs 455,000.

Previously, on Falgun 11, a snow leopard killed nine mountain goats and injured nine others at the shed of farmer Mingmar Gurung in Kimling, Lomanthang-4. Similarly, in Marpha, Gharapjhong-2, over three dozen mountain goats were killed in two separate attacks on the shed of Santosh Pariyar.

ACAP Lomanthang has installed three CCTV cameras to monitor the leopard's activity. During the current fiscal year, ACAP has deployed cameras across potential habitats in all five rural municipalities of the district to track the snow leopard population.

ACAP stated that it facilitates relief payments for farmers affected by wildlife through the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation. Due to delays in government funding, ACAP often provides immediate relief from its internal funds.

Human-wildlife conflict is rising in Mustang as snow leopards increasingly target livestock sheds and grazing areas, threatening the livelihoods of local farmers. Experts suggest that climate change, which has reduced forage in high-altitude pastures, is driving prey species to lower elevations, subsequently drawing snow leopards closer to human settlements and highways.