Living alongside rhinos on the fringes of Chitwan
Summary
Rhinos from BP Shanti Community Forest near Chitwan’s Narayanghat are increasingly moving toward nearby settlements at dusk, raising safety concerns for residents. Locals say one calf may have been separated from its mother during the late-September floods, and a person was killed in a rhino attack last winter.
Key Points
- Rhinos from Nagarban, officially BP Shanti Community Forest, often leave the forest at dusk and head toward nearby settlements along the Narayani river.
- Local forest chair Mahesh Baniya says around ten rhinos, including three calves, live in the forest and some are aggressive.
- Residents in nearby areas such as Naughare, Barghare and Lanku have been urged to be careful at dawn and dusk after recent encounters and one fatal attack last winter.
- A calf may have been separated from its mother during the late-September floods and now wanders into nearby neighborhoods.
