A total of 22 rhinos died in the outgoing financial year in Chitwan National Park. Of them, two died due to poaching and 20 of natural causes.
A rhino and a calf were killed in early January by poachers at the Narayani river Bank in Madhyabindu Municipality-2, said information officer of the park, Ganesh Prasad Tiwari. However, the number of rhinos dying due to natural causes has been decreasing.
Altogether 43 rhinos had died due to natural causes in the fiscal year 2075/76. This number decreased to 26 in the year 2076/77, 39 in 2077/78 and 35 in 2078/79. According to the latest count, there are 694 rhinos in Chitwan National Park.
