CHITWAN, March 18: Twenty rhinos were found dead in eight months of the current fiscal year in the Chitwan National Park (CNP) and its vicinity.
CNP Information Officer Abinash Thapa Magar said all of these rhinos died in the current fiscal year due to natural causes— from tiger and crocodile attacks, fighting amongst each other, falling ill, and old age.
Two rhinos found dead in CNP
Total 21 rhinos had died last fiscal year. 18 of those perished from natural causes while two from poaching, and the reason behind the death of one rhino was not determined, he added.
Similarly, 22 rhinos had died in the CNP in the fiscal year 2022/23—20 due to natural causes, one from electrocution and one from poaching. The Ministry of Forest and Environment had set up a committee to find out the reasons after many rhinos died from natural causes.
In any case, the mortality rate of rhinos from natural causes has started decreasing in recent years. As per the census 2021, there are 752 rhinos in Nepal. The CNP has the highest number of one-horned rhinos which is 694.
