CHITWAN: As many as 26 rhinos have died of natural causes in the last 11 months of the current fiscal year in the Chitwan National Park (CNP) and adjoining national forest region of Chitwan district.

Among these, 24 rhinos died within the park area while two died in the national forest area, CNP assistant conservation officer Prakash Upreti said.

According to him, most of the rhinos that have died due to various natural causes are calves.

Forty three rhinos had died of natural causes during the same period last fiscal year.

The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) has started conducting a study after the death of large number of rhinos due to natural causes, the Rastriya Samachar Samiti has said.