One Horned Rhino >> Mortality

Rhino Mortality in CNP And BNP

However, from 1996, poaching activity increased again in Chitwan valley probably due to political instability, lapses in park patrolling, replacement of experienced APU staff, and the merging of armed Gaida Gasti (rhino patrol) with the Forest Guard. In 1990, the political system of the country changed affecting the government mechanism to a great extent. In 1993, the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation (MFSC) commissioned a working group comprising officials from the Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), Department of Forest (DoF), District Forest Officer, Chief Warden and Major from Nepal Army to assess the poaching problem in Chitwan and make recommendations for effective conservation of rhinoceros.

The working team made several recommendations including not reducing he number of guard posts in Chitwan and Nawalparasi and strengthening the intelligence network etc. The situation became worse with loss of 269 rhinos of which 122 were poached (45.3%) between 1998 and 2004. Several rhino poachers have been killed in encounters and number of persons have been apprehended in rhino poaching. Maskey (1998) reported that 26.9% of rhino was poached in the valley from1973 to 1998. The rhino mortality from poaching is over 39% for 2000 & 2001.

From last few years, poaching of rhino gradually shifted in the core area from the buffer zone. Protection of bufferzone forest by community, higher chances of being noticed by local community may have resulted in the increase of poaching in the core park area then in the buffer. It has been difficult to patrol 932 Sq. Km area by the park staff in a situation where Nepalese Army posts have been merged from 34 posts to 10 due to Maoists led armed struggle. The availability of rhino is also higher in the park. Thus, poaching activities have been increased in park than in the buffer zone.

Several methods such as pit fall, spear, snare, poison, electrocution and firearms are used to kill rhino. At the initial stage pitfall was common but the poachers have gradually shifted from the traditional pit fall to modern fire arms.