Chitwan: A one-horned rhino succumbed to injuries on Sunday (January 23) after falling into a pit on the Hetauda-Chitwan road section of the East-West Highway.
According to Ganesh Prasad Tiwari, information officer at the Chitwan National Park (CNP), the rhino was found dead near Tikauli forest at 3:30 PM on Sunday afternoon.
After the 10-year-old female pachyderm was found dead, a technical team was sent to the site from the national park.
“The negligence from the authorities concerned and the contractor resulted in the death of the rhino. The authorities concerned should take action against the contractor at the earliest. Had the contractor filled the pit on time, the accident could have been averted,” said Bhupendra Basnet, central committee member of Bibeksheel Sajha party, who is also former secretary general of Nepal Forum for Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ).
Talking to NL Today, Basnet further said that authorities have failed to accord priorities required to safeguard Rhinos. “The government and the CNP are making money, but they don’t seem to think much about preserving the rare animals.”
The government must act seriously to ensure that similar incidents will not take place in the future.
In the current fiscal year, 21 one-horned rhinoceros have already died in the Chitwan National Park. Of them, two were killed by poachers, while others died due to natural causes.
Photos: Nepal Live and Bhupendra Basnet’s Facebook
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