By Our Reporter
Killing and natural deaths of more rhinos in the Chitwan National Park have worried the conservation officials. The poaching of the rare one-horn rhino has increased after the government imposed lockdown in March this year.
The officials said that the poachers have become active due to lack of regular patrols and security activities during this coronavirus pandemic. They suspect that the poachers who were released from jail after completing their terms were being used to poach the rhinos.
Former Chief Conservation Officer of CNP Ram Prit Yadav said that those who had recently completed their jail terms for poaching rhinos had returned to their former occupation after their release.
Recently, bodies of a mother rhino and her calf were found in Chitwan, and they were suspected to have killed by poachers.
After finding the two bodies and suspecting the involvement of the freed poachers in the killing of rhinos, the CNP has started discussing measures to employ the released poachers in conservation activities.
It is estimated that the two rhinos were killed about three months ago when shots were fired from inside the park.
A Nepal Army patrol team has found the carcasses of the rhinos in the western part of CNP. According to park security personnel, the mother, who had just given birth to the calf, was killed.
While managing the bodies of the dead rhinos, skeletons of more rhinos without horns were also discovered in the same area.
Earlier, on the third week of August, a rhino was found dead in the same area after being killed by poachers. Park security personnel have suspected that the poacher killed the rhino as it was found with head and back injuries.
In all, 12 rhinos were found dead in the current fiscal year alone, out of which four were killed by poachers. In the last four years, CNP has recorded zero poachings of rhinos. But increasing numbers of poaching have added worries to the conservation officials.
In the fiscal year 2076/77, a total of 26 rhinos died in the park — all of them of natural causes.
According to the 2015 census, there are a total of 645 rhinos in Nepal. Of them, 605 rhinos were found in Chitwan National Park alone. The highest number of rhinos in the park died in the fiscal year 2058/59. Of the 48 dead rhinos found in the year, 37 were killed by poachers, according to the park officials. For the past few years, the park had been celebrating zero poaching years.
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