BHARATPUR: A total of 11 people lost their lives in wild animal attacks in Chitwan National Park during the last fiscal year 2024/25, according to park authorities.
Information Officer Abinash Thapa Magar said that rhinos were responsible for the highest number of fatalities, killing eight people. Two deaths were caused by elephants and one by a tiger.
In addition, 41 people were injured in attacks by wild animals, of which 32 sustained serious injuries and nine had minor injuries.
Most of the victims were individuals who had entered the park or nearby forest areas to cut grass or collect blackcurrants. The park noted that the fatalities and injuries were caused by animals including rhinos, elephants, tigers, wild boars, crocodiles, and gaur (wild cows).
Over the past five years, wild animal attacks in the park have claimed 73 lives and injured 169 people. The fiscal year 2078/079 recorded the highest number of fatalities, with 30 deaths—21 of which were caused by tiger attacks alone.
Residents of the buffer zone often enter the forest to collect firewood with permission from the park and community forest authorities. Prakash Dhungana, Chairperson of the Chitwan National Park Buffer Zone Community Forest Users Committee, emphasized the need for better management of wildlife habitats to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
He added that the park is working on installing mesh fencing and conducting awareness programs to prevent future incidents.
In addition to human casualties, wild animals also caused significant damage to livestock and property. In the past year, 179 domestic animals were killed—140 of them by leopards, 37 by tigers, and two by pythons, according to Information Officer Thapa Magar.
Furthermore, elephants damaged 23 houses and destroyed grain stores in 13 homes located near the park during the last fiscal year.
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