35 Arrested for Illegal Activities in Chitwan National Park

Chitwan National Park (CNP) has apprehended 64 individuals for engaging in illegal activities over the past month and a half, including 35 arrested for offenses such as unauthorized entry, poaching, and resource exploitation within the park.

Avinash Thapamagar, CNP’s Information and Conservation Officer, reported that the arrests occurred during intensified operations aimed at safeguarding the park and its buffer zone. Among those detained, one was involved in tiger poaching, two in domesticating wild boars, 30 for unauthorized entry, tree cutting, and fodder collection, 23 for illegal fishing, one for killing a pigeon, and eight for vegetation harvesting.

Authorities emphasized strict measures against those found violating park regulations, with a call for increased collaboration among relevant stakeholders to curb wildlife poaching and illegal trade.

During this period, the park also reported the deaths of two rhinos and one tiger. On November 22, a 31-year-old female rhino was found drowned in the Narayani River along the buffer zone. Five days later, a 35-year-old rhino succumbed to natural causes within the park, with its horn and hooves intact. On December 1, the carcass of a six-year-old tiger, believed to have died in a territorial fight, was discovered in Nawalpurghat within the park’s buffer zone.

Tragically, human-wildlife conflicts also resulted in two fatalities and four injuries from rhino attacks in the same timeframe.

Efforts continue to ensure the protection of the park’s diverse wildlife and natural resources while addressing human-wildlife conflicts in the region.