Twenty rhinos have been found dead over the past eight months in Chitwan National Park (CNP) and its surrounding areas, according to the park authorities.

CNP Information Officer Abinash Thapa Magar said all of the deaths recorded so far in the current fiscal year were due to natural causes. These include attacks by tigers and crocodiles, infighting among rhinos, illness, and old age.

In comparison, a total of 21 rhinos died in the previous fiscal year. Of these, 18 deaths were attributed to natural causes, two were due to poaching, and the cause of one death could not be determined, he added.

Likewise, 22 rhino deaths were reported in the fiscal year 2022/23. Among them, 20 died of natural causes, one was electrocuted, and one was killed by poachers.

Following the rising number of deaths from natural causes, the Ministry of Forest and Environment had formed a committee to investigate the matter.

Officials say the mortality rate from natural causes has started to decline in recent years. According to the 2021 census, Nepal is home to 752 one-horned rhinoceroses, with 694 of them residing in Chitwan National Park alone.