Kavre, Jan. 15 -- Farmers in Phaimarang of Bethanchok Rural Municipality-1 in Kavrepalanchok were once busy growing maize during the monsoon and mustard and buckwheat in winter. But after 2013, farming these traditional crops became increasingly difficult as wild boars, porcupines, bears, and monkeys repeatedly destroyed fields before harvest.

Frustrated by constant crop loss, local resident Ramesh Prasad Timilsina migrated with his family to Panauti eight years ago.

"Before the maize cobs even formed, wild boars and porcupines would destroy everything," Timilsina said. "Even after staying up all night lighting fires and making noise, we couldn't harvest more than 25 percent of the crop."

His 15 ropani land in the village now lies idle...