The last time poachers had killed a male rhino was on January 3 in the Dhoba Post area of CNP. "We have decided to celebrate Zero Poaching Year on Januray 3, 2012," said Chief Conservation Officer at CNP Jhamak Bahadur Karki. [break]
Altogether 37 rhinos were killed at CNP in the fiscal year 2058/59 when the government declared emergency at the peak of the Maoist insurgency and 34 army posts at the park were reduced to seven. Just five were killed in 2057/58 and conservationists believe the rise in poaching was solely due to poor presence of security personnel.
Thirty-two were killed in 2059/60 and poaching has gone done gradually with the total never crossing 15. Just two rhinos were poached last year.
Chitwan is the main habitat of one-horned rhino in Nepal with 503 of the country´s total of 534 living at CNP. There are 24 in Bardiya and seven at Shukla Phanta. Karki claimed rhino has not been poached outside Chitwan in the past two and a half years.
He attributed the decline to the increase in number of security posts, which now stands at 51, and rise in public awareness.
Assistant Chief Conservation Officer Jagannath Singh however said CNP still lacks equipment and vehicles for effective control of poaching.
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