Rhino Attacks Spark Fear in Nawalparasi Communities Near Chitwan National Park

Nawalpur. On Wednesday, Magh 21, a three-year-old boy playing in his courtyard was attacked by a rhinoceros in the morning. Shivansh Regmi of Brahmsthan, Madhya Bindu Municipality-3, Nawalparasi (Bardaghat-Susta East), was thrown into the air and injured on the head when the rhino gored him with its horn (khag).

On Tuesday, Magh 20, around 12:00 PM, a young man cutting grass in Amaltari, Kawasoti Municipality-17, a neighboring village of Brahmsthan, was attacked by a rhino. Doctors stated that 40-year-old Hem Bahadur Kumal sustained internal injuries when the rhino attacked him while he was cutting grass in a field near his home.

Police reported that both individuals injured in the rhino attacks are currently receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Madhya Bindu Provincial Hospital in Danda, Kawasoti-16.

The increasing human-wildlife conflict, stemming from wild animals entering the village from the nearby Chitwan National Park and Amaltari Buffer Community Forest, is causing widespread fear among residents. In recent times, locals have been forced to live in fear as rhinos have begun attacking residents almost daily.

"It is not safe to stay outside the house even during the day," complained local Ram Bahadur Bote, adding, "We are forced to live in fear of when and where a rhino or other animal might attack us." He mentioned that three rhinos have entered the village in the last few days, making them afraid to go out for daily chores.

"We couldn't go out of the house at night before either," Bote said, "but now we are afraid to go out for work during the day, fearing a rhino might attack from behind." He added that one of the rhinos that entered the village had a calf, noting that rhinos with young are generally more aggressive.

Stating that their livelihood depends on the income from fishing in the river, he lamented that residents in this area constantly live under the threat of wild animals. Local Radhika Regmi said that it is impossible to go outside when rhinos walk past their homes daily.

"We have small children at home, and there is always the worry that a rhino might suddenly emerge and attack while they are playing outside," she said. "My mother-in-law was attacked and injured by a rhino twice, once two years ago and again the year before that. She recovered after treatment, but the fear of rhinos remains as strong as before."

Regmi recalled that her mother-in-law was attacked once on the way to bathe in the Narayani River and another time while cutting grass in the field behind the house. Local Phanindradevi Poudel informed that the number of people injured in rhino attacks in Brahmsthan at various times exceeds 10.

"The Narayani River flows near our homes. We have stopped going to bathe in the river in the morning these days due to the fear of being attacked by rhinos," she said. "My sons are abroad. We live in fear that if something happens to us while we are outside, we might die without rescue."

Poudel complained that residents in this area constantly live under the threat of wild animals coming from the national park and the buffer zone. "Animals coming from the jungle sometimes eat crops, and sometimes they attack and injure children playing in the village, people working, or those going to bathe in the Ganga," she said. "Although the National Park arranges for the treatment costs of people injured by wild animals, affected farmers do not receive compensation for crop damage."

Most areas in Madhya Bindu, Kawasoti, Devchuli, and Gaindakot municipalities, which are in the buffer zone of the district, constantly face the threat of wildlife. Human-wildlife conflict is also increasing in this area due to rhinos, wild boars, deer, and other wild animals.

Humnath Upadhyay of Madhya Bindu-3 Brahmsthan emphasized that candidates seeking votes during elections must develop effective plans for human-wildlife management. "Leaders come asking for votes and promise to work towards reducing human-wildlife conflict during elections," he said. "It is no longer enough to just give assurances to the public; effective plans and a commitment to action are necessary."

Upadhyay complained that previously, the promise to "save the public from wild animal attacks" only served as an election agenda. He urged everyone to select and vote for candidates who will work effectively and with a long-term, results-oriented approach to mitigate human-wildlife conflict.