A Runaway Rhinoceros Rampages Through a Bazaar in Nepal · Global Voices
Sanjib Chaudhary

Image tweeted by Nepali blogger @janakdangol
On the morning of March 30, a one-horned rhino ran through a busy market and near a hospital, killing a 61-year-old woman and injuring several people, in a town 50 miles south of Nepal's capital Kathmandu.
Nepal is home to 534 of the world's 3,000 endangered one-horned rhinoceros population. The country's Chitwan National Park, 30 miles from where the incident took place, has 503 one-horned rhinos.
Nepal has earned international recognition for its conservation efforts and its innovative methods to curb wildlife attacks. The Chitwan reserve has the world’s second largest population of the vulnerable animal, which weighs an average of 4,000-6,000 pounds. Hunting depleted one-horned rhino numbers to near extinction in the early 20th century. Rigorous conservation efforts has increased their population the last few decades. Nepal has played a huge role in wildlife conservation. Between 2011 and 2013, there was no poaching in Nepal; not a single tiger or rhino was killed.
The Nepali news site Pahilopost, reported that the animal rampaged through Hetauda, a city of about 85,000 people. The rhino was spotted near Hetauda hospital, and went viral on social media. Locals tweeted pictures and videos of the rhino running around the bazaar before the mainstream media reported on the rhino’s escapades.
Rhino on the Run in Hetauda Video provided by Kishan Poudel from Hetauda. #WildLife @kashishds pic.twitter.com/OqTCqYUxFu
— Sahadev Poudel (@Sahadevision) March 30, 2015
Kumar Paudel tweeted:
Rampaging rhino terrifies residents as it runs through town in Hetauda #Nepal pic.twitter.com/eI64N5bi1u
— Kumar Paudel (@kmrpaudel) March 30, 2015
Journalist Ujjwal Acharya tweeted:
An one-horned Rhino creates choas in Hetauda, Nepal appearing in densely populated area. Pics via @Sahadevision pic.twitter.com/0mb6KBzTKn
— Ujjwal Acharya (@UjjwalAcharya) March 30, 2015
More photos from Twitter of Rhino in Hetauda Pics: Ardy Bajracharya via @lexlimbu, @nepal2006 & @janakdangol pic.twitter.com/7cFCNk761W
— Ujjwal Acharya (@UjjwalAcharya) March 30, 2015
In Nepal fatal wildlife attacks occur in areas close to national parks and wildlife reserves. According to a 2008 study, 36 tigers killed 88 people between 1979 and 2006 around the Chitwan National Park.
To prevent attacks, the government and conservation organisations have been running awareness campaigns targeting communities living close to wildlife reserves. Extra safety measures like solar fences, concrete posts and ditches have been dug up around vulnerable communities.
Communities close to wildlife reserves have also started cultivating mentha, a menthol oil producing plant, and chamomile, on their lands.The smell of these plants seems to keep wild animals away, and planting a field of these crops acts as a protective fence. The idea of planting these crops was recognised as one of the world’s 12 best innovations in the 2011 BBC’s International World Challenge Award.
As the local administration, park officials and local volunteers were busy driving the rhino back to the reserve, social media was rife with jokes on the rhino’s adventure.
One person making a joke of the rhino’s escape, tweeted:
होइन त्यो गैड़ालाई जान्ने भएर किन हस्पताल छिर्न पर्ने कत्ति न डाक्टर जस्तो..
— कान्छा साहुको नाति (@transcend_mee) March 30, 2015
Why did the rhino have to enter the hospital, as if [it] was a doctor.
Another journalist Kriti Bhuju tweeted:
गैँडा हेटौडा बजारमा shopping गर्न हिडेँ जस्तो छ, सब पसल बन्द गर्यो भने फर्किन्छ की?
— kriti bhuju (@kritibhuju) March 30, 2015
[Seems] the rhino went shopping at Hetauda Bazaar, will it return if all the shops are closed?