To prevent wild animals from entering settlements, Thakurbaba Municipality in Bardiya, a Tarai district in Lumbini province, has ramped up the construction of a wall along its boundary with the Bardiya National Park and its buffer zone. Surrounded by the park on three sides, eight of the municipality’s nine wards frequently face crop damage and occasional human casualties due to wildlife intrusion, particularly elephants that stray out of the forest.

According to Mayor Tilakram Lamsal, areas with completed barriers have witnessed a sharp decline in crop damage.

“The wall has prevented animals from entering settlements, reducing conflicts,” Lamsal said. Local residents are hopeful that the wall will make farming safer. According to Deputy Mayor Bina Kumari Bhattarai, around 11 kilometres of the six-foot high concrete wall has already been completed, with an additional five kilometres planned in the current fiscal year of 2025-26.

“With nearly 32 kilometres of surrounding forest, safeguarding settlements remains a major challenge,” she said. The six-foot-tall concrete wall is designed mainly to block elephants but also deters other animals like wild boars, deer, and antelopes, helping protect both crops and people.