CHITWAN, July 17: A total of 21 endangered one-horned rhinoceroses died in and around Chitwan National Park (CNP) during the last Fiscal Year (FY), highlighting the persistent challenges facing Nepal's flagship wildlife conservation efforts despite decades of success in rhino protection.
According to the CNP, 20 rhinos died inside the national park, while two others were found dead in adjoining national forests during the FY 2025/26, which ended on Thursday.
Internal translocation of rhinos taking place in Chitwan
CNP Information Officer Abinash Thapa Magar said two of the deaths were caused by electrocution—one near Madi in Chitwan and the other along the Lokaha River in Susta East of Nawalparasi.
The remaining rhinos died from a range of natural and human-induced causes, including being trapped in quagmires, injuries sustained in territorial fights, tiger attacks and old age.
The latest figures show a decline in rhino mortality compared to the previous fiscal year, when 30 rhinos died in and around the park.
Home to Nepal's largest population of the endangered greater one-horned rhinoceros, Chitwan National Park currently shelters 694 adult rhinos. The park remains the cornerstone of the country's globally acclaimed rhino conservation program, although habitat-related risks, human-wildlife interactions and natural causes continue to claim the lives of the iconic animals every year.
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