CHITWAN : A rhinoceros has been found completely decomposed in the wester sector of the Chitwan National Park (CNP). The male rhino, aged around 30 to 35 years, was found in a decomposed state at the Narayani riverside in Bhalauji of the district’s Binayi Tribeni Rural Municipality, according to Park’s assistant conservation officer, Ashok Ram.
The herbivorous mammal could have died a month ago while fighting with a fellow male rhino, said Ram. The hoofs and horn of the rhino were intact, he informed, adding that as many as nine rhinos have died in the Park owing to various reasons since this past July.
The 2015 rhino census had counted the number of rhinos in Nepal at 645. Among them, 605 were found in CNP alone. However, given the alarming rate of the rhinos’ death in the CNP in recent days, the Park is deciding to conduct a study on why, shared Ram.