CHITWAN, July 27: The number of people killed in attacks by wild animals has risen of late in Chitwan National Park (CNP) and its surrounding areas. In the last fiscal year 2016/017, a total of 13 people were killed by animals in the park area.
CNP, which is a tourist hub of the country, borders some human settlements of Nawalparasi, Parsa and Makawanpur districts. Of those total deaths, six took place in Chitwan, six in Nawalparasi and the remaining one in Parsa district, according to the CNP. Information Officer at CNP, Nurendra Aryal, informed that eight of the victims were female and the rest were male.
Rhino attacks caused most of the deaths -- seven. Four deaths were due to wild elephant attacks and two deaths were caused by tigers.
Rising tiger deaths in Parsa National Park Area: four fatalitie...
In the fiscal year 2015/016, five people had died in wildlife attacks – two each by tiger and rhino, and one by wild elephant. Park officials said the rising number of deaths is concerning.
Those killed by rhinos in the last fiscal year include Buti Kumari Mahato, 72, of Kawasoti Municipality-15 of Nawalparasi; four-year-old Sweta Mahato from the same place; Anil Kumar Mandal of Lamichaur, Nawalparasi; Laxmi Shrestha of Chitwan; Suka Maya Kumal of Bharatpur-8; and Kumari Devi Mahato of Kawasoti-7; among others.
Wild elephants also attacked two locals outside their homes and another two in their farms. Wild elephants have been attacking human settlements in Parsa, Nawalparasi and Chitwan districts, according to Aryal.
Tiger killed two persons, who were outside their settlements at the time of the attack. An Indian national was among those killed in elephant attacks. Since the past three years, tigers have not attacked people by entering human settlements. "All the incidents have taken place in forest areas," informed Aryal.
The highest number of deaths in wildlife attacks so far occurred in the fiscal year 2000/01, when 25 people were killed, according to the park.
