Thirty-one wild animals have died in the national forest area of Chitwan. Those wild animals have died in various areas. According to the Division Forest Office, rhinos, leopards, spotted deers, and red deers were found dead.
According to Bal Krishna Khanal, information officer of the office, a rhinoceros died due to electric shock in Bharatpur Metropolitan-16. He informed that the issue is under investigation. A leopard was found dead in the forest of Thimura after getting stuck in a tree. Similarly, 22 spotted and normal deers, five boars, and two red deers died, he said.
Apart from rhinos and leopards, most of the dead animals were killed in vehicle collisions in the Barandabhar forest area, Ramnagar and Muglin areas. According to Khanal, 70 percent of wild animals have died due to vehicle collisions. The two vehicles that hit the animals have been taken under control.
Last year, 35 animals died in the forest area of the district. The animals that died were: one tiger, nine horned deers, 23 spotted deers, one red deer, and one wild boar. Khanal said, "The number of wildlife deaths will decrease if drivers take precautions." There is a debate on the construction of a sky bridge or a surface road in the Tikauli section of the East-West Highway, which has a high wildlife death toll.
So far this year, 63 wild animals have died inside Chitwan National Park. Most dead animals are rhinos and deers. According to the park, 10 males, seven females, and two unidentified rhinos were found dead. Five died of old age, five fell into swamps, two drowned, two died in fights and one died in a tiger attack. It is suspected that a rhino found in the Ghangar area of Madi and in the Dhowa area died due to poaching. Similarly, a 75-year-old female elephant has died at Khoria in a sanctuary.
According to the park's information officer Ganesh Prasad Tiwari, out of 15 female and four male spotted deers, most died from rabid dog attacks. Similarly, a male and a female tiger have died. Tiwari informed that one died in a cage while being treated and the other died of illness.
Similarly, one male and one female bear have died of natural causes. According to the park, six male and four female wild buffalos also died during this period. A male and a female Laguna, three females and a male crocodile, and three other different animals died, Tiwari said.
