Lumbini, Sept. 23 -- Nepal is preparing to overhaul the way it counts its one-horned rhinos, moving away from a decades-old system that sends people into the jungle on elephants to spot and record the conserved animals.

The move comes as Nepal seeks better data on a rhino population that has recovered from historic lows but continues to face significant threats.

Nepal's rhino population has risen sharply since it fell to about 100 in the 1960s, but 133 rhinos have died in and around Chitwan National Park over the past five years.

Authorities say the existing counting method is risky for survey teams and does not produce the kind of scientific data now needed to manage the population.

The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conse...