Chitwan: Twenty rhinos were found dead in eight months of the current fiscal year in the Chitwan National Park (CNP) and its surrounding areas.
According to National News Agency Nepal, CNP Information Officer Abinash Thapa Magar reported that all of these rhinos died due to natural causes, including tiger and crocodile attacks, fighting amongst each other, illness, and old age.
In the last fiscal year, a total of 21 rhinos died, with 18 succumbing to natural causes, two falling victim to poaching, and the cause of death for one rhino remaining undetermined. Similarly, during the fiscal year 2022/23, 22 rhinos died in CNP, with 20 attributed to natural causes, one electrocuted, and one poached. In response to the high number of natural deaths, the Ministry of Forest and Environment established a committee to investigate the reasons.
The mortality rate of rhinos from natural causes has shown a decreasing trend in recent years. According to the 2021 census, there are 752 rhinos in Nepal, with CNP housing the largest population of one-horned rhinos, totaling 694.