Phaguna Mahato, a resident of ward 5 of Janakauli in Ratnanagar Municipality, was a cook in a Sauraha-based hotel. During the rainy season, the tourist hotel reduced its operations and Mahato was granted a summer leave. On September 16, 2023, the 47-year-old went to Janakauli Buffer Zone Community Forest near his home to collect grass for the cattle. There is a stream passing through the forest. While returning, he was suddenly attacked by a muggar crocodile (Crocodylus palustris). He died in the incident.

The Mahato family lives in a tin-roof hut in Magartol, a settlement near the tourist hub of Sauraha. The impoverished family is left in the lurch after the death of a sole bread earner in this human-animal conflict. Mahato’s widow is now working at a hotel as a kitchen help to raise her four daughters and a son.

“We have been thrown into crisis after the death of the head of our family. Our mother works in a hotel to manage two squares of meals. The tragic incident ruined our family,” said Salima, the third daughter of the Mahato couple.

On June 24, 72-year-old Mil Bahadur Tharu of ward 1 of Madhyabindu Municipality in Nawalparasi East died in a crocodile attack near his residence. The crocodile fatally injured him while he was taking a bath in a rivulet. He died on the spot, said police.

Human-animal conflict is unchecked in the buffer zone area of Chitwan National Park (CNP), the country’s first conservation area. Mainly the tigers, rhinos and elephants attack people in Chitwan and Nawalparasi districts. However, the attacks by crocodiles are on the rise lately.

According to conservationists, crocodile attacks were rare in the past, but have become more frequent in recent years.

In the last fiscal year, 2023-24, crocodiles have ranked the third major cause of human fatalities in the CNP and its buffer zone. As per the data available at the CNP, 11 people were killed by wild animals in the area in the last fiscal year. “Five people died in the attack by rhinos while tigers mauled four people to death. Mugger crocodiles attacked and killed two people in the last fiscal year,” said Ganesh Prasad Tiwari, the information officer at the CNP.

Two species of crocodiles—mugger and gharial—are found in several streams and rivers in the national park area and its buffer zone. A good number of crocodiles are sighted in various streams and rivers that pass through Baghmara and Janakauli buffer zone community forests in Chitwan. According to conservationists, the muggers and gharials are found in the Rapti river and its tributaries lately.

“Lately, the crocodile population has been increasing in the area. Comparatively, gharials are calmer. They cannot fatally attack humans because of their physical characteristics as well. But muggers are aggressive, and dangerous,” said Jitu Tamang, a conservationist who is also the chairman of Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest Users’ Group. According to him, many mugger crocodiles are sighted on the banks of the Budhi Rapti stream that passes through the Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest. “They are the major attraction for the visiting tourists, both domestic and foreign,” said Tamang.

Conservationists suggest that awareness programmes should be launched in the buffer zone area to minimise human-crocodile conflict and conserve the species. “Mugger crocodiles are normally gentle animals. But they become a bit aggressive when they are nesting and raising their hatchlings,” said conservationist Bed Bahadur Khadka who had worked as the chief of the gharial breeding centre in Chitwan for a long time.

According to Khadka, the crocodile generally lays eggs in the months of March and April, and hatches them in June and July. They closely protect their hatchlings until October. “Crocodiles do not actively prey on humans or even quadruped animals. But they attack if they encounter people or other animals. We have to understand their behaviour to minimise conflict,” said Khadka.

The number of crocodiles—both mugger and gharial—has increased in Chitwan National Park and its surroundings. However, the authorities do not have the exact data. During a monitoring conducted in 2015, a total of 388 mugger crocodiles and 166 gharials were found in the area. The gharial’s population has reached 265 now.