Rhino found dead at Bandarjhula

By Bomlal Giri,Nawalpur, Oct. 17: A 25-year-old male rhino has been found dead in the Amaltari Sector of Chitwan National Park. 

According to the park’s information officer, Avinash Thapa Magar, the rhino was discovered in the Bandarjhula area of Amaltari Sector, Nawalpur.

He said the rhino is believed to have died after getting stuck in a swamp. Its horn and hooves were found intact and safely preserved.

This is the fourth rhino death reported in Chitwan National Park in the current fiscal year. Last fiscal year, 28 rhinos had died there.

Although natural deaths of rhinos have increased, none have fallen prey to poachers for nearly two years. The last poaching incident took place on November 16, 2023, when two rhinos were killed in the Chaparchuli area of the park’s eastern sector. 

Since then, rhinos have been dying due to natural causes but have remained safe from poachers, Magar said.

According to the latest census, Nepal is home to 752 rhinos, of which 695 are in Chitwan National Park. The remaining rhinos are found in Parsa Wildlife Reserve, Bardiya National Park, and Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve.