Narayangarh, December 18:

The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation is going to conduct a new rhino census in March 2008 within three years of the previous head count, even though the census used to be carried out in every five years.

The census will begin in Bardiya National Park in the first week of March and it will begin in Chitwan National Park in the second week, chief of Tiger and Rhino Conservation, Nepal Nature Conservation Fund, Ram Chandra Nepal said.

The number of rhinos was 544 in Chitwan in 2000 and it plunged to 372 in 2005. Statistics say poachers killed 94 rhinos and 66 rhinos died of natural cen-ses during the five years.