About Orang National Park in Assam :
Orang Wildlife Sanctuary is popularly recognized as the ‘mini Kaziranga,’ which is situated on the northern reservoir of the Brahmaputra River. This sanctuary covers an area of over seventy two square kilometers where many wildlife are habitant here. In 1985, this sanctuary was established in the states of Assam, but later in the year 1999, on 13th April, it was declared as a national park. Today, this place is well known as Orang National Park, which is a renowned place for its evergreen natural picturesque beauty. This national park is located at a distance of around one hundred and fifty kilometer from the city of Guwahati and thirty one kilometers from Tezpur which is the closest town. Before declaring this wildlife sanctuary as a national park, in the year 1992 on 1st October, it was renamed as the Rajib Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary, where Rajib is well known as ‘Rajiv.’
It is an ideal place for tourist to experience some adventure and thrill in their vacation. From all over the world national and international tourist visit this place each year. The Orang Sanctuary is one of the beautiful places which offer many attractions for tourists while exploring here. Around 60% of the sanctuary is covered with grassland. The best time to visit this national park is from the month of November to March. There are many recreational activities offered by this park, visitors can also indulge in experiencing some thrill and adventure while touring in the wildlife of Assam.
If you want to spot the wild animals, the best spot to visit is Brahmaputra River. Early in the morning or late afternoon you can see these wild animals drinking water to quench their thirst, while some of them sit inside the cool river water to beat the heat. There is adense forest near this where you can see various two winged species of birds chirping on the trees. It offers a picturesque beauty with the combination of green nature, flowing river water, and flora and fauna. This place ensures that you will definitely experience one of the unforgettable and alluring vacations of your lifetime.
History of Orang National Park :
The park has a chequered history of habitation. Up to 1900, it was inhabited by the local tribes. On account of an epidemic disease, the tribal population abandoned the area. However, in 1915 the British declared it as Orang Game Reserve vide notice No. 2276/R dated May 31, 1915. The game reserve came under the control of the wild life wing of the State Forest Department to meet the requirements of the Project Tiger. It was established as a wild life sanctuary in 1985, vide notification No. FRS 133/85/5 dated September 20, 1985. But in 1992, the park was renamed as Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary but this action had to be reversed due to public pressure against the renaming. Finally, the sanctuary was declared as National Park in 1999 vide notification No. FRW/28/90/154 April 8, 1999.
Wildlife of Orang National Park :
The Landscape
The Assam Orang National Park on the whole is a flat land and the terrain is gentle slope from north to south. The park area enjoys typical subtropical monsoon climate. The southern and eastern boundaries of the park comprise channels, and islands of the Brahmaputra. The western boundary is an artificial boundary delimited by a foxhole from villages. The villages almost from its all sides surround the whole area. Even in the southern side, the riverine islands are now inhabited by human habitation and the national park is under continuous biotic pressure. The area consists of alluvial flood plains of the Brahmaputra
The Flora
The vegetation of the park is very rich. The natural forest species are like Bombax ceiba, Dalbergia sisoo, Sterculia villosa, Trewia nudiflora, Zizypphus jujuba, Litsaea polyantha, etc are found here. Among the non aquatic grassland species the prominent are Phragmites karka, Arundo donax, Imperata cylindrical, Saccarum spp. etc. The aquatic grassplants species are Andropogon spp., Ipomea reptans, Enhydra flushians, Nymphia spp., Wichornia spp. etc
The Fauna
Apart from the greater Indian one-horned rhinoceros, which is the dominant species of the national park, the other key species sharing the habitat, are the Royal Bengal Tiger, Asiatic elephant, hog deer, wild boar. Besides, there are other small mammals like civets, leopards, hare, and porcupines. There are more than 50 species of fish.
The Birds
Orang National Park in Assam is the most important habitat of the Bengal florican. The estimated population is about 30-40. Other important birds are Spot-billed Pelican (Pelicanus philippensis), Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus), Greater Adjutant Stork (Leptoptilos dubius), Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus), Wooly-necked Stork (Ciconia episcopus), Rudy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea), Gadwall (Anas strepera), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Pintail (Anas acuta), Pallas’s Fishing Eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus) and a number of others including forest and grassland birds.
The Reptiles
Among reptiles, turtles like Lissemys punctata, Kachuga tecta, and among snakes pythons and cobras are known to frequent these in this area.
How To Reach Orang National Park :
By Air: Tezpur is the nearest airport to Orang. However Guwahati has better connections with almost all the major cities to India.
By Rail: The nearest railhead is Rongapara Both Tezpur and Guwahati are connected very well by the rail network of India.
By Road: Orang can be approached from NH 52 through gravel roads running from Orang town and Dhansirimukh. It is about 65km from Tezpur, 127 km from Guwahati. The sanctuary is 15 km off the national highway near Orang town (Dhansirimukh). The distance between Guwahati and Dhansirimukh is 127 km.
State: Assam
Location: Darrang and Sonitpur on the north bank of the Brahmaputra
Area: 78.81 sq kms
Best time to visit: November to March
Nearest Town: Tezpur (31km)