Tibetan authorities have compensated local farmers and herders more than 170 million yuan (27 million U.S. dollars) over the past six years for damages by wild animals, local officials said Monday.

Tibetan snow leopard. [File photo]

Numerous wild animals inhabit the southwestern autonomous area. They are generally viewed as a nuisance as the feral animals can attack people and cause property losses, a spokesman with the Wildlife Protection Department under the Tibet Regional Forest Bureau said.

The "troublemakers" are mainly brown bears, black bears, wolves, wild yaks, snow leopards and blue sheep, some of which are under state-level protection, the spokesman said.

To protect the interests of local residents, the regional government promulgated a regulation in 2006 to give financial compensation to residents who suffer damages from wild animals, he said.

More than 170 million yuan has been given to local residents in this regard from 2006 to 2011, and 110 million alone last year, he said.

"It also improves the residents' awareness of protecting wild animals," he said.

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