220 rhinos died in 8 years: CNP

KATHMANDU: A total of 220 rhinos have died in Chitwan National Park (CNP) and the surrounding areas due to various reasons over the past eight years.

According to the CNP Office, 64 died due to old age or falling off a cliff, 19 died after getting trapped in swamps or swept away in floods, 51 died due to fights, 20 died due to tiger attacks, nine were poached, eight were electrocuted, 12 died after catching different diseases, three died after falling into holes, five were poisoned, and 29 died due to unknown causes.

Data shows that 100 of those rhinos were male, 76 were female, and the gender of 44 is unknown, Ganesh Prasad Tiwari, the spokesperson for the CNP Office, told the RSS news agency. The highest number of rhino deaths (43) was recorded in 2018/19, while the lowest (14) occurred in 2015/16.

Tiwari told RSS that the total number of rhino deaths since the fiscal year 2008/09 has reached 323. According to him, fighting and old age are the major causes of death.

According to the National Rhino Count, 2021, there are 752 rhinos in Nepal. While CNP is the major rhino habitat in the country, the beasts are also found in Parsa National Park, Bardiya National Park and Shuklaphanta National Park.

Rhino Deaths: