KHYBER: The increasing population of wild boars, porcupines and monkeys in parts of Tirah and upper Bara has been causing damage to standing crops and inflicting losses on farmers, according to locals.

During a recent visit to Spin Drand, Dray Wandi and Sandana areas in upper Bara, farmers told this scribe that population of those wild animals had increased manifolds during their decade-long displacement from their homes due to militancy and military operations in the region.

They said that farming being their main source of income was only recently revitalised. They added that they worked day and night to cultivate their barren lands with suitable crops with the hope to earn a decent livelihood for their impoverished families.

Niazbat Khan, a resident of Dray Wandi, said that wild boars in particular were causing damage to their wheat, potato and other crops and he along with other farmers spent sleepless nights to scare away their new found ‘enemies’ from their farm lands.

Decade-long displacement of locals cited as main reason for increase in population of bores, porcupines and monkeys

He said that wild boars ‘patrolled’ the area in groups during night time and ‘consumed’ every ripe crop coming their way while also attacked local farmers if they were challenged by them.

He said that though they had not yet approached the district wildlife department to find any remedy to safeguard their agricultural fields from the wild ‘attackers’, they usually resorted to firing in the air during night to scare away wild boars and other animals roaming around.

Farmers in the region said that though they were provided with barbed wire for the protection of their agricultural fields, the wire was of little help to stop the entry of wild boars, porcupines and monkeys into their fields.

They said that alongside firing in the air, some of the farmers resorted to poisoning the wild animals as they were left with no other option to save their crops.

Ashiq Afridi, a young shopkeeper in Spin Drand, said that at least three persons including a woman were also attacked and injured by wild animals in his village in recent weeks.

He said that he had to fire with his pistol and kill a boar when he was also attacked by the dangerous animal when he tried to scare it away from his home a few days ago.

Haleem Khan, district forest officer, when approached for his comment about the rising population of the wild animals and the local farmers’ failure to control it, said that his department could not extend any immediate help to farmers owing to paucity of funds and uncertain law and order situation in the regions where displaced families had only recently returned.

He, however, suggested that poisoning wild creatures by local farmers could help in reducing the threat to standing crops and mitigating the sufferings of growers.

“We could intervene and help local farmers only when the law and order gets better,” he said while also acknowledging that decade-long displacement of locals was the main reason for the rapid increase in numbers of those wild species.

The agriculture department in active collaboration with Islamic Relief Pakistan provided the much needed help and assistance to farmers, who recently returned to their respective areas, to enable them to level their barren lands and cultivate a variety of crops on it after a decade-long agricultural inactivity in the regions.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2023