Nepal Rhinos Die in Electric Traps

Forest officials in Nepal discovered a one-horned rhinoceros dead in a cornfield near Kawasoti Municipality on Friday. The rhino likely died from electrocution, and authorities recovered wiring near the carcass. It remains unclear whether poachers or farmers set the trap, as both groups use electric fences—sometimes illegally—in the area.

Chitwan National Park records show that electric current caused the deaths of seven rhinos out of 204 total rhino deaths between 2015 and 2023. Conservationists have repeatedly warned locals about the dangers of uncontrolled electric fencing, but the practice persists. Illegal fences have even caused human fatalities, like the death of Lal Bahadur Moktan in Makwanpur last year.

Nepal’s rhino population has rebounded from a low in the 1960s to 752 animals, but increasing human-wildlife conflict and habitat encroachment pose new challenges. Locals cite inadequate crop damage compensation as a reason for using dangerous traps. Authorities continue to address the issue through awareness campaigns and legal enforcement, but a balance between conservation and human needs remains elusive.