No Rhino Poaching Reported in Chitwan for Over 500 Days

The Chitwan National Park (CNP) has marked a significant milestone in conservation efforts, with no incidents of rhino poaching reported for the past 516 days.

According to CNP Information Officer Abinas Thapa Magar, the last poaching case occurred on November 16, 2023, when two one-horned rhinoceroses were killed in the Chaparchuli area of the park’s eastern sector. Nine individuals involved in the poaching were arrested and publicly presented.

Since then, the park has revised its security strategies, resulting in a continued halt in poaching activities.

While poaching has ceased, 24 rhinos have died in the current fiscal year due to natural causes such as attacks by tigers and crocodiles, illness, and old age. In the previous fiscal year, 21 rhino deaths were recorded — 18 from natural causes and two from poaching. The year before that, 22 rhino deaths were reported, with one attributed to poaching.

Nepal’s 2021 rhino census recorded 752 one-horned rhinos nationwide, with 694 residing in Chitwan National Park, making it the species’ primary habitat in the country.

Earlier, Nepal celebrated a historic 1,071-day poaching-free period, highlighting the country’s commitment to wildlife conservation.