CHITWAN, August 30: Just a week after the appointment as the mahout in Chitwan National Park (CNP), a person was killed by an elephant of the CNP this morning.

According to the CNP, the deceased is Buharilal Sardar, 27, of Kusaha-8 in Sunsari district. Another person saved his life by climbing up the tree, it is said.

The CNP officials said that Sardar and his friend had moved from Hattisar of Sauraha to cut grass by taking the elephant named Motirprasad (Kha). Sardar was appointed the mahout on August 21 on contract basis in the CNP. RSS

RATNANAGAR, August 24: A week after a wild water buffalo gave birth to a female calf, the next wild water buffalo, known as Arna, has also given birth to a baby on Thursday in Chitwan National Park (CNP), officials confirmed.

According to the Senior Veterinary Doctor at the CNP, Kamal Ghaire, a male calf of the Arna was recovered from the wild water buffalo conserved location in the eastern belt of CNP at Padampur.

Earlier, a wild buffalo that was translocated to the CNP nearly two years ago had given birth to a female calf on 16 August. “Following the two-day long monitoring with the support from elephants, we found the second wild water buffalo giving birth to a baby calf,” Ghaire narrated. He added that one more Arna is an aspiring mother and is expected to give birth to a baby within a month.

With the addition of new members of Arna, Director General of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Department Man Bahadur Khadka said that a huge success was achieved in the conservation of species after the birth of a male calf and shared his plan to add more Arna in the open place. After the arrival of new member of Arna, the total number of wild water buffaloes in open space has reached 11 in CNP.

Prior to this, six Arna lost their lives due to diseases and attacks of tigers, according to the officials of CNP. RSS

CHITWAN, Aug 1: An endangered species of spotted tiger caged at Kasara, the main office of the Chitwan National Park (CNP), was found dead Tuesday.

The Royal Bengal tiger died due to infection on its right leg, informed Senior Veterinary Doctor Kamal Gaire.

The tiger aged around 11 was rescued from Rapti Ekata Buffer Zone Community Forest under the Khagendramalli Range Post of eastern Chitwan three months ago.
“The wild cat was eating flesh well up to Monday”, said Chief Conservation Officer Bed Kumar Dhakal, adding that, “The beast was already dead while reaching there to feed it in a routine time”.

A team of veterinary doctors led by Kamal Gaire has been attending the ailing tiger for the past 10 days but in vain, Dhakal shared.

It is learnt that the tiger had killed around 20 animals and injured a local in the territory so the CNP had resorted to cage the reigning cat.

The serial demise of wild cat in CNP of late is a setback to conservation of the rare species.

Narayan Adhikari
CHITWAN, July 29: The conservation of ‘Pate Bagh’ (Royal Bengal Tiger) has become more challenging in the Chitwan National Park (CNP), a habitat to 140 of the engendered wild cats.

The Royal Bengal Tiger is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The latest tiger census puts the number of the Royal Bengal Tiger at 198.

Chief Conservation Officer at the CNP, Bed Kumar Dhakal stated that the conservation of the endangered wild animals was becoming more challenging due to the increasing population and wanton encroachment on forests and the buffer zones.

The unregulated activities of the locals in the buffer zone such as fishing, fern picking, cutting bumbershoot and uncontrolled invasion by wild weeds such as Mikania among others are also posing threat to the depletion of water sources and decrease of carnivores animals making the protection of the wild cats tougher.

Furthermore, flooding in the rivers inside the CNP and the damage caused to the green fields and wild animal also added challenge to the conservation effort of the tiger.

Dhakal shared that the tigers in CPN sometimes were tracked in the Parsa National Park and the Balmiki Tiger Reserves in the neighboring area in search of spacious habitat.

Chitwan National Park, including the buffer zone, sprawls across 1,300 square kilo meters.

Dr Chiranjivi Pokharel, tiger specialist at the National Trust for Nature Conservation’s Central Zoo, opined that the loss of habitat, poaching and smuggling of the body parts of the wild animals and depleting food were the major challenges facing tiger conservation.

Dr Pokharel shared the Royal Bengal Tiger is found across 13 countries across the globe and among the 9 species, three had already gone extinct. The specie of Royal Bengal Tiger found is Nepal could be found only in India, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
He strongly voiced for effective coordination of efforts for the conservation of the tiger from one and all concerned agencies in coming days.

Initiative has been taken to double the population of tigers after its number was immoderately declined to as few as 3,000 up to the year 2010 from around 100,000 some seventy years ago.

Nepal had counted 198 tigers in 2013 Survey. Among them, the highest numbers (120) were counted in Chitwan National Park, 50 in Bardiya National Park, four in Banke National Park, seven in Parsa National Park and 17 in Shuklaphanta National Park.

Former Chief Conservation Officer at Chitwan National Park Ramchandra Kandel shared that the main prey species of wild cats are spotted chittal, swamp deer, gaurigai (Bos Gauras) and blue bulls, among others. The small wild species are not adequate to quench the appetite for tigers.

Kandel further shared, “A tiger can eat up to 88 kg at once and takes rest for up to 10 days. So, there needs an adequate availability of big animals in the national park”.

Likewise, a male tiger requires 10 to 12 square kms area. Only one male tiger lives in one territory.

Narrowing habitat, fragmentation of forest, poaching, illegal trade, lack of institutional structure, shortage of competent human resource, lack of scientific research and study and short of effective monitoring among others are the challenges for tiger conservation of late, shared CNP’s former Chief Conservation Officer Shivaraj Bhatta.

CHITWAN, July 17: The last fiscal year did not produce any encouraging news to the wildlife conservationists especially those concerned about the rhinoceros and people associated with the country’s oldest Chitwan National Park (CNP), as the park lost a total of 26 rhinos to various causes in this period.

According to the CNP information officer, Nurendra Aryal, 26 rhinos died from various reasons including natural disaster in the period. Four rhinos were killed in flood-related incidents with two caught in a marsh caused by the flooding while two were swept away by flood waters.

Fighting, delivery complications (in case of some female rhinos) and aging are other reasons behind the deaths of a noticeable number of this endangered wildlife last fiscal year. Three female rhinos succumbed to child delivery complications in this period. They died after failing to give birth to their babies.

The park however has recorded no case of rhino poaching since April 8, 2017.

However, the number of rhino deaths due to other reasons was slightly up in the year compared to the previous year, according to the CNP Information Officer Aryal.

This figure is followed by 25 and 15 rhino deaths in previous two fiscal years respectively. The need of a study was felt to seek potential ways for minimising the death risk among rhinos with their death toll increasing every year, CNP chief conservation officer, Bed Kumar Dhakal said. A squad from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation has already begun a study to this end.

The CNP latest details mentioned about 605 rhinos here.

KATHMANDU, July 10: Chitwan National Park bid farewell to Bhadra and Rupasi, two of the four rhinos, to Chinese government. Two others will be sent to China next year as promised by Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli two years ago.

CPN bid farewell to Bhadra and Rupasi amid a special function on Tuesday.

The two rhinos will be travel via two trucks Na 5 Kha 7996 and Na 7 Kha 1270, according to Chitwan National Park. The rhinos are being transported separately.

They will be kept at Central Zoo in Kathmandu before sending to China. Five conservation officers will accompany the two rhinos to Kathmandu and later to China. The team will consist of veterinarian, technician and three wildlife caretakers.

The Nepal government has already gifted 26 rhinos to different foreign countries so far.

According to Ved Prasad Dhakal, the chief conservation officer at CNP, six rhinos have been given to America, four to India and two each to Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, Myanmar, Japan, Germany, Britain and Austria.

The CNP record shows that four rhinos were sent to Dudhuwa of India for the first time in 1985. Lately, a pair of rhinos was gifted to Austria in 2006.

Elephants were brought from India, Myanmar and Thailand in exchange of rhinoceros before this.

Former chief conservation officer Ramprit Yadav said that 16 elephants have been brought so far from India alone in exchange of rhinos.

According to him, Nepal has been gifting rhinos to various countries for establishing cordial relations with these nations. He believes this also helps in increasing the rhino population.

Similarly, the gharial and magar crocodiles have been gifted to various countries. Yadav said that they are in effort to bring giant panda to Nepal in exchange of the rhinos.

CHITWAN, July 10: Twenty six rhinoceros have been gifted to various countries so far from Chitwan National Park (CNP).

Ved Prasad Dhakal, the chief conservation officer at CNP, said six rhinos have been given to America, four to India and two each to Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, Myanmar, Japan, Germany, Britain and Austria.

The CNP record shows that four rhinos were sent to Dudhuwa of India for the first time in 1985. Lately, a pair of rhinos was gifted to Austria in 2006.

Two pairs of the endangered wildlife are being gifted to China after 12 years. With this, the number of rhinos sent to various countries as present reaches 30.
Elephants were brought from India, Myanmar and Thailand in exchange of rhinoceros before this.

Former chief conservation officer Ramprit Yadav said that 16 elephants have been brought so far from India alone in exchange of rhinos. According to him, Nepal has been gifting rhinos to various countries for establishing cordial relations with these nations. He believes this also helps in increasing the rhino population.

Similarly, the gharial and magar crocodiles have been gifted to various countries. Yadav said it would be a big achievement for Nepal if we could bring the giant panda from China in exchange of rhinos. RSS

CHITWAN, June 13: With the formation of a stable government and political stability in the country, the number of tourists visiting the Chitwan National Park (CNP) has gone up in the recent days.

According to the Information Officer of CNP Nurendra Aryal, along with the rise in the tourists’ arrival, the revenue collection has also increased.

A total of 133,171 tourists visited CNP and buffer zone areas in the first ten months of the current fiscal year. Altogether 88,939 tourists from third countries visited the CNP while 13,408 from SAARC countries and 30,824 Nepalis reached the national park and buffer zone areas. During the period, Rs 215 million in revenue was collected against Rs 225 million in revenue.

Last year, a total of 139,978 tourists had visited the CNP including 88019 from third countries and 15906 from SAARC nations.

The entrepreneurs have expected strong inflow of tourists in the last two months of the current fiscal resulting in the highest number of tourists compared to the last three fiscal years. RSS

A dead one-horned rhinoceros is pictured in this photograph taken near Sauraha, Chitwan on Tuesday, May 15, 2018. As many as 24 one-horned rhino have died so far this year. Photo Narayan Dhungana/Rss

CHITWAN, May 14: Ninety persons accused of involvement in poaching of rhinos and smuggling parts of this animal from the Chitwan National Park (CNP) and its surroundings are on the loose, said the CNP.

Other 150 convicts in various cases of rhino poaching and smuggling are serving time at various prisons in the country, said information officer at the CNP Nurendra Aryal.

A search has been launched for the fleeing accused, Aryal said. The Central Investigation Bureau of the police, the Wildlife Crime Control Unit of the CNP’s Department, the District Police Office and its respective offices and Nepal Army deployed to provide security at the CNP have assisted in the search. A Red Corner notice has also been issued against the fleeing accused.

According to the CNP At least 176 rhinos were killed in the national park by poachers/smugglers since 1995, with the figure sitting at 106 alone in the period between 2058 BS and 2063 BS. Thirty five rhinos were killed by smugglers in a single year of 2002. However, the country celebrated zero poaching years in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016 (no rhino was killed by smugglers).

Following Interpol notice against Raj Kumar Praja accused in a rhino smuggling, Malaysian police arrested and handed Praja to Nepal police in 2071 BS Praja has been charged with murdering 20 rhinos.

According to National Park and Wildlife Act, a rhino poacher can get five to 15 years of imprisonment and is fined Rs 500,000 to Rs 1.5 million or both. RSS