The Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation will start Rhino cenus from March 14th. The last time the rhino population was counted was in 2015. It will commence from Chitwan National Park.

According a spokesperson, the department have already started ground preparation for census in Chitwan..

The upcoming national rhino census will be conducted country’s protected areas and adjoining forests areas. The government has allocated over Rs11 million for the census.

Nepal formally started conservation of rhinos by establishing Chitwan Sanctuary—now Chitwan National Park— in 1973, after a massive drop in rhino population during the 1950s and 60s.

The rhino count, which was initially planned for last year, was postponed because of lack of fund.

According to the 2015 count, Nepal is home to 645 rhinos—605 in Chitwan, 29 in Bardiya National Park, eight in Shuklaphanta National Park, and three in Parsa National Park.

In the fiscal year 2016-17, there were 25 incidents of rhino death, including one killed by poachers—the first instance of poaching in the last five years. A total of 26 rhinos died inside the park in 2017-18.

The last fiscal year 2018-19 emerged as one of the worst years for rhino conservation. Chitwan National Park recorded 46 one-horned rhinos died last year in and around the park.