CHITWAN: The Chitwan National Park (CNP) has made public various persons involved in the smuggling of rhino horn. They were held in connection with the investigation on the rhino killed at Mardikhola area of Bandharjhula Post. A rhino was found killed and its horn removed recently.

The CNP shared that those arrested were, Mekh Bahadur Nepali aka Nawain Poudel from Bagmati Rural Municipality-3 of Makwanpur, Bir Bahadur Basnet, 27, from Shivalaya Rural Municipality-2 of Jajarkot, Arop Upreti, 25, from Khairahani Municipality-6 from Chitwan. Two more inmates including Jit Bahadur Kumal, 49, from Bharatpur Metropolis-28, were being investigated in this connection, said Information Officer at CNP, Lokendra Adhikari.

Information Officer Adhikari further informed that two others accused and absconding after the crime- Ram Kumar Praja and Bam Bahadur Praja- were also arrested for the investigation. All of the above accused were sought action in line with National Parks and Wildlife Reserve Act, 2029. Meanwhile, one more rhino was found dead at Kadhisohara of Kolkota island from west sector in CNP.

Information Officer Adhikari informed that a male rhino of about 10 year was found dead in a marshland near the Narayani River. However, the horns and hooves of the pachyderm were safe. It is guessed that the rhino died after it got stuck in the morass.