Stray animals were behind a total of 116 road accidents across the country from the fiscal year 2015-16 till October of this year, according to a Nepal Police data.

“Highways witness the most number of road accidents due to stray animals, most of them domesticated bovines abandoned by their owners” police spokesperson SSP Uttam Raj Subedi told the Post.

To reduce the road accidents caused by abandoned animals, police are working closely with various local governments across the country.

Local governments in places like Butwal Submetropolis have been collecting stray animals from streets and handing them over to livestock farmers.

Lekhnath Pokharel, information officer of Butwal Submetropolis, said, “Stray animals are given to animal farms within and outside the sub-metropolis. We also provide financial aids to those who rear abandoned cattle.”

In Kathmandu Valley, Math Mandir Gai Bachchha Bachau Tatha Samaj Bikash Aviyan has been offering shelters to abandoned cattle. Established by Ram Bahadur Neupane four years ago, today the organisation provides shelter to 170 bovines.

“Even newborn calves are being abandoned. People worship dogs and cows every year during Tihar, but on other days, they are neglected. If only people showed same devotion to these animals throughout the year, there would be no need for a sheleter like ours,” said Neupane. “The problem of stray cattle can be minimised if the government and public become responsible. Using an animal until it has benefits and abandoning them later is a cruel thing to do,” said Neupane.

According to the organisation, Kathmandu Valley has around 8,000 abandoned cattle.

“Stray animals make their way in the city from neighboring municipalities. Though Kathmandu metropolis has been rescuing abandoned animals, their places in the city streets are often taken over by stray cattle,” said Nama Raj Dhakal, assistant spokesperson of KMC.