For more than 10 years, Randolph Branford, a mechanic living in the Five Miles Housing Scheme along the Potaro Road in Bartica, has been living in fear with his family as repeated encounters with jaguars continue to disrupt their lives.Branford explained that ever since he moved into the scheme, the presence of the predator has been a constant threat.“We always get a [jaguar] problem since this scheme open and we get this houselot,” he told the News Room.According to him, the predators killed at least 12 of his dogs over the years and frequently comes close to his home, sometimes climbing the steps and approaching the door. The most recent incident occurred on Sunday night and was captured on security camera.“The [jaguar] come like 9 o’clock and my daughter with my grandchildren living right downstairs, and the tiger come right at the door,” Branford said.The family says their daily lives have been affected. The children are too frightened to play in the yard, and their fowls have all been eaten. His chicken pen now stands empty as a result of repeated losses.“All your fowl they eating out, so meeno wah fuh do. It is really dangerous, that animal could be in one of the bushy areas and when children in the yard, it could run and snatch one of them,” Branford expressed.Branford explained that he relies on the dogs for security since he often has valuable items in his yard for his mechanical work.And while the dogs have kennels, they cannot be locked up all the time.“I does do mechanic work home by me and sometimes I have things, important things that you cannot carry upstairs and you have your dog as a form of security. I am losing left, right and center because I cannot work late, you have to keep your eyes out and you cannot rear chicken because they getting eat out,” Branford explained.Branford said he has made several reports to the police station and even to former Mayor Gifford Marshall, but no action has been taken. The family continues to live in constant fear as the tiger problem persists.The post 10 years of fear: Bartica mechanic, family terrorised by jaguar appeared first on News Room Guyana.