Locals of ward 2 and 4 of Mechinagar Municipality in Jhapa district, often affected by wild elephants, are now facing growing terror from leopards that have started killing goats and pigs almost daily.

According to ward 2 chair Deepak Baral, the leopard hides during the day in tea estates and private forests and comes out after dusk to attack livestock.

“We were already dealing with regular elephant intrusions and crop destruction by monkeys. Now we have leopards pulling goats and pigs straight out of the shed every night,” said Baral. “We are deeply concerned about the safety of children.”

In the past 15 days alone, leopards killed over two dozen goats and pigs, said Baral. He added that workers in tea estates, pedestrians, and schoolchildren are frightened due to the possibility of leopard attacks. “So far, it has only targeted livestock, but we can’t rule out the risk to humans,” he said.

A metal trap has been installed to capture the animal. Baral said he has appealed via social media to the Division Forest Office, conservation organisations, and individuals to take immediate steps to control the leopards. He suspects there are two or more adult leopards in the area.

Two months ago, there was a similar situation in ward 4, where leopards killed a dozen goats. Despite placing traps from the Jamunkhadi Community Forest in Kanakai, no leopard has been captured so far, said ward chair Arjun Kumar Karki.

Division Forest Office Chief Bharat Babu Shrestha confirmed that leopards only killed livestock so far and not harmed any humans. He said the animal might be roaming across the Ilam-Jhapa border.

A similar leopard presence was recorded seven years ago in the area, when one was successfully captured using a trap, said Karki. The proximity of Bahundangi to a wildlife reserve in India means wild animals often wander into Nepali territory. In the past, a Bengal tiger and an Indian bison have also been sighted in Bahundangi.