The last rhino census in 2000 counted nearly 400 animals within Chitwan. At that time, poaching was under control, but since then the number of patrolling wardens has been cut and poachers are once again killing rhino. Rhino and elephant also come into conflict with people who live in the buffer zone surrounding the Park. At night they venture beyond the Park boundaries and eat the crops in nearby villages, causing damage on a large scale.