A baby one-horned rhinoceros died in the Chitwan National Park in Nepal on Sunday morning. The five-year-old baby rhino died in the buffer zone of the partk that is located around 160 kilo meters away from the capital city of Kathmandu.
"We are yet to identify the real cause of its death," Gopal Ghimire, spokesperson for CNP, told media, adding the verification of the cause of the death would take some time. This was the first recorded rhino death in 2020.
Nepal to take new rhino census this year
Nepal is home to 645 endangered rhinos as per the 2015 census. However, rhino deaths due to natural causes were on the rise. According to officials, many rhinos succumb to injuries following a battle with other animals regarding territories, while some die due to diseases and infections.
A total of 46 one-horned rhinos died in the fiscal year 2018-19 in and around the CNP, recording the worst year for the endangered species in the country. According to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, out of the 645 rhinos in Nepal, over 600 are in CNP.
The Himalayan country will conduct a new rhino census this year.
(With inputs from IANS)
