Bharatpur, July 24: In the fiscal year 2081/082 BS (2024/25), 11 people lost their lives in wildlife attacks inside Chitwan National Park, with most fatalities caused by rhinos, according to the park's Information Officer, Abinash Thapamagar.

Among the fatalities, eight were killed by rhinos, two by elephants, and one by a tiger. Additionally, 41 people were injured in wildlife attacks during the same period—32 of them seriously and nine with minor injuries.

Most of the victims were individuals who had entered the park to collect fodder or wild vegetables like fiddlehead ferns. Fatal encounters have occurred with animals such as tigers, rhinos, elephants, wild boars, crocodiles, and gaurs of water buffaloes, the park stated.

Over the past five years, a total of 73 people have been killed by wild animals in and around the park, while 169 others have been injured. The fiscal year 2078/079 BS (2021/22) recorded the highest number of deaths, with 30 people killed—21 of them by tiger attacks alone.

Residents of the buffer zone typically enter the national park and community forests with official permission to collect grass and firewood.

Prakash Dhungana, chairperson of the Chitwan National Park Buffer Zone Community Forest Users' Committee, stressed the need to better manage wildlife habitats to reduce human-wildlife conflict. The park, he said, is currently installing mesh fences alongside conducting public awareness campaigns.

Data from the park also shows that 179 domesticated animals were lost to wildlife attacks over the past year. Leopards were responsible for the majority—140 cases—followed by tigers with 37 cases, and pythons with two, according to Information Officer Ranamagar.

Furthermore, elephants caused damage to 23 houses around the park, with grain stores in 13 homes destroyed during the last fiscal year alone.

People's News Monitoring Service