A Demon-inspired Migration

Farmers in rural Bhutan abandon their villages when wild animals attack crops or humans, or they lose their farmland to landslides or even in search of a better life. Phungshing villagers in Thrimshing dungkhag have a spookier reason. Villagers started leaving Phungshing in the early 1990s when the local paw (shaman) told them that the death of a middle-aged villager was caused by a demon that resided below the village. More people died in the following years and villagers started abandoning Phungshing in droves.

Located on a gentle slope of a low hill descending into the Ngera Ama chhu (river), Phungshing is a fertile village where farmers grow maize, potato, chili and orange. According to villagers, since the shaman’s warning, many people, who did not heed the warning, died. They say most deaths were sudden and strange.  About half a dozen people from that village have perished so far. A household, according to villagers, moved away for good after losing two members in successive years. Continue reading A Demon-inspired Migration

Where Conservation and Recreation Come Together

Forestry division provides a space for people to keep in touch with nature

A mix of rugged terrain and manicured oases in the middle of a forest, the royal botanical park is a hub of exotic plants, birds and an unique recreational site. This natural beauty, that encompasses about 47 sq km, is located at an altitude of 2,800 m.

The royal botanical park was built to preserve the existing rich biodiversity within the Sinchula-Dochula-Helela zone under Thimphu and Punakha districts.

“This area is rich in biodiversity, both in flora and fauna, and the main objective is to conserve them and provide a recreational area for the people,” said the assistant forestry officer, Tshering Phuntsho. He said that the area was degrading as it was used to collect firewood and other forest resources. Continue reading Where Conservation and Recreation Come Together