Uncover the Beauty of Orang National Park, Assam

Orang National Park is in the Udalguri and Sonitpur district of Assam, India.

The state of Assam has the third most National Parks in India, after the 12 in Madhya Pradesh and 9 in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Two Latest National Parks in Assam added in June 2021 are Dihing Patkai National Park and  Raimona National Park. Orang National Park, Dibru Saikhowa national park, Kaziranga national park, Manas national park, Nameri national park are the 5 other National Park in Assam. Learn about each one them in detail below.

Orang National Park

• The Orang National Park has been renamed officially as the Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park. 
• Orang National Park has an area of 78.80 sq. km.
• In 1915, Orang forest was declared a Game Reserve.
• The Orang forest was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1985 
• Orang was later declared as a National Park in 1999. 

Geography

• The Orang National Park is situated on the north bank of the Brahmaputra river in the Darrang & Sonitpur districts of Assam 
• The Pachnoi river and the Dhansiri rivers flow along the eastern and western boundaries of Orang National Park respectively. Both these rivers are tributaries of the Brahmaputra. 
• The terrain of Orang National Park is flat, being the floodplain of these rivers. 
• Two different alluvial terraces are found in Orang National Park:
  • the lower areas of Orang are of more recent origin along the river Brahmaputra  
  • the older upper alluvial of Orang is in its north 
  • Both are separated by a high bank traversing the National Park from east to west. 
• Orang was earlier a pure alluvial grassland, probably maintained by grazing and fire by villagers. 

Flora

• At one time, Orang was one of the finest representatives of natural wet, alluvial grasslands of the floodplains of the Brahmaputra river (much like Kaziranga). 
• Even now, more than 60% of the Park is under grasses
• Natural forest constitutes only 2.6%, while planted forest covers 13.6% of this Park. 
• Waterbodies (beels) and swamps constitute about 12% of the area. 

Fauna

• Orang National Park is well known as an important habitat for the Indian One-horned Rhinoceros and Tigers.
• Mainly established to save the highly endangered Rhinoceros, the grasslands of the Park also support healthy populations of the
  • Swamp Francolin, 
  • Bengal Florican, 
  • Lesser Adjutant  
  • Pallas’s Fish-Eagle
• AVIFAUNA: Orang National Park is one of the most important sites for birds of wet, tall grasslands of the Indo-Gangetic plains. Almost all species of conservation concern are found in this small National Park of nearly 8,000 ha.
• OTHER KEY FAUNA: Orang National Park was declared for the protection of the Rhinoceros. Between 50-60 rhinos are found here, despite intensive poaching pressure. 
• Other notable species in Orang National Park are:
  • A healthy population of Tiger 
  • Hog Deer, 
  • Wild Pig 
  • This small area also has a small population of wild Asiatic Elephant. 
  • Gangetic Dolphin also occurs in the rivers. 
  • some of the small mammals of the Park are
    • Chinese Pangolin 
    • Chinese Porcupine 
    • Small Civet 
    • Jungle Cat 
    • Smooth Indian Otter
    • Rufous-tailed Hare  
  • The Swamp Deer population was exterminated by 1972 when license hunting prevailed. 
  • Old records also show the existence of Hispid Hare but it is not found in Orang now. 
  • Pygmy Hog another highly endangered species, was introduced in 1976 rather unsuccessfully. 
  • Turtles found in Orang National Park are
    • Indian Tent Turtle  
    • Brown Roof Turtle 
    • Malayan Box Turtle 
    • Eastern Hill Terrapin 
    • Spotted Black Terrapin
    • Indian Soft-shelled Turtle  
  • All these are listed in the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.

This was all about national park in Assam. learn more at Official Forest Department Website of Assam