Living alongside rhinos on the fringes of Chitwan

Just after sunset on Monday, a large rhino quietly emerged from the edge of Nagarban. A narrow channel of the Narayani river lay ahead. Beyond it, less than 100 metres away, was a settlement. The rhino waded into the roughly 40-metre-wide channel, heading towards the settlement. A few children and older people were walking along the bank.

Hearing their noise, the animal became alert. It had gone only a short way into the water when the children grew louder. The rhino stopped, waited for a while, then turned around and disappeared into the forest. The forest sits on an island about 1.5 kilometres downstream from the Narayani Bridge in Narayanghat. Locals call it Nagarban, although its official name is BP Shanti Community Forest.

Mahesh Baniya, chair of the forest, estimates that around ten rhinos live there, including three calves. He says the animals can be aggressive. “One calf is now on its own. Its mother may have been swept away in the late-September floods. The calf often wanders into nearby neighbourhoods these days,” Baniya said.