Jaguars wreak havoc for Mocha cattle farmers

Sep 17, 2018 News

– several cows, other animals slaughtered

Wild animals— suspected to be jaguars, have been wreaking havoc for cattle farmers at Mocha / Arcadia, East Bank Demerara, (EBD).
The jaguars have reportedly slaughtered several cows within the last 15 months.
Reports reaching this newspaper indicate that the jaguars have been roaming the backlands of Mocha and Diamond, EBD in search of food— killing cattle and other domesticated animals in their path.
Farmers have reportedly suffered huge losses as a result of the attacks.
Rayburn Jones, a representative of the Mocha Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), told Kaieteur News that the matter was reported to the NDC, the District Police, and the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC).
Kaieteur News understands that the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission have also been informed.
However, with no method of redress readily available to the farmers, concerns have escalated within the past few months.
“At first, the farmers started losing calves but then things escalated when the larger animals started going missing.
Then we received reports of sightings of these jaguars in the backlands,” Jones said.
According to the NDC representative, there have been several reports from villagers who frequent the backland about their encounters with the jaguars.
“We have reports of more than one sighting of a female jaguar and her cub.
And based on a recent study conducted here by the University of Texas on big cats and human interaction, it is likely that there is a male somewhere.
Based on that study there is more than one type of big cat that can be found in the backlands. In addition to the jaguar, there‘s the puma.”
Over the years, Jones noted that there would have been ‘one off sightings’ of the wild cats.
“We have had reports of one off disappearances of animals and people would say things like the jaguars might have eaten them but most persons would dismiss it as just ‘idle gaffe.’
It was until persons who frequented the backlands started having encounters with these animals, that we started to pay heed to them.
There is belief that hunters might have crossed the conservancy and disturbed their natural habitat causing the animals to roam the area in search of slower easier prey— cattle.
At present, the cattle have been removed from the backlands and are being kept in the village.”
According to Jones the village is not a suitable place for the cows -they need grazing land. It is nevertheless safer than the backdam.
Kaieteur News has however received reports that other domesticated animals including dogs, sheep and goats might have fallen prey to the roaming jaguars.
“Just last week, a donkey was attacked and killed. A report was made to the police but they were reluctant to respond,” Jones added.
Given the reluctance to address the problem, Jones noted that there is concern that there will be more attacks and not just on animals.
“There is always fear amongst the people that they can be attacked as well. In fact, female farmers are not visiting the farms as frequently as before.”
Jones is the Chairman of the recently formed Mocha /Arcadia Multipurpose Cooperative Society.
As chairman of the coop society, Jones said that he raised the need for allotted lands for communal pastures with the Lands and Surveys Commission.
“The NDC has made representation on behalf of the farmers for some intervention from Lands and Surveys.
We are still awaiting word from Lands and Surveys but as it is now, there is little we can do about the situation.”

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