A 20-year-old male rhinoceros was found dead in a rice field in ward 2 of Madi Municipality in southern Chitwan, conservation authorities said on Wednesday.

The animal is believed to have died from electrocution on Tuesday night, according to Abhinash Thapa Magar, information officer at Chitwan National Park.

“We suspect the rhino was electrocuted in the field overnight. We were informed of the incident only this morning. An investigation is underway to determine the cause and identify the farm’s owner,” Thapa Magar said.

The rhino’s horn was found intact, ruling out immediate suspicion of poaching, though officials are investigating whether the animal was killed to protect crops.

Some locals install electric wire fences illegally to ward off wild animals from entering their fields. The incidents of wildlife death caused by such illegal electric fences are reported time and again in the buffer zone area.

Killing a rhinoceros is a criminal offence under Nepali law. Thapa Magar said 28 rhinos died in and around Chitwan National Park last fiscal year, with no cases linked to poaching. One of those deaths was also caused by electrocution.