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Introduction

The Orang TR (OTR) has been notified vide Notification no. FRW.14/2004/34 dated 24/2/2016 consisting of a core area of 79.28 km² and buffer area of 413.18 km². The core area of the reserve i.e. Orang National Park (ONP) was an erstwhile game reserve which was notified as a sanctuary in 1985 and eventually a National Park in 1999. The tiger reserve by virtue of its proximity to Guwahati and Tezpur is well connected by flight, road, and rail. Tezpur Airport and Guwahati Airports are 65 km and 110 km, respectively, being connected through major part of NH15 and NH 27 KM. The major Railway Stations nearby are Guwahati (110 km), Tezpur (70 km) and Rowta (23 km) from the Orang Tiger Reserve.

The core area of OTR, i.e. ONP, lying between the latitudes 260 29’ N to 260 36’ N and the longitudes 920 15’ E to 920 25’ E, is situated in the Northern bank of Brahmaputra River of Darrang and Sonitpur districts. The buffer area of the OTR has numerous revenue villages and riverine islands within but there are no reserve forests and protected areas in the buffer. The buffer area falls under 4 revenue districts of Assam, namely Darrang, Sonitpur, Morigaon and Nagaon. The south-west to north-east stretch in the southern part of the buffer is the Brahmaputra riverine area.

Currently, the entire area of the ONP (core area) is one range and is under the jurisdiction of Range Officer, ONP, Silbori. It is the only range under the jurisdiction of Mangaldai Wildlife Division and the DFO, Mangaldai Wildlife Division discharges the functions of the Field Director of the OTR and is assisted by an ACF and an attached Range Officer. There are no forest beats, but there are 40 permanent anti-poaching camps in the core, and each camp guards an average area of 2 km². It has two floating camps to manage the riverine areas. The buffer area falls under three territorial divisions namely, North Kamrup, Sonitpur West and Nagaon. Mangaldai Wildlife Division has no jurisdiction over the buffer area, and the area is under the jurisdiction of respective territorial divisions.

As Orang Tiger Reserve is part of the Brahmaputra floodplain landscape, the connectivity with the buffer area of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve (KTR) i.e., Laokhowa-Burhachapori WLS, is through the river and its riverine islands. These riverine islands are occupied by many for agricultural purposes and are hindering the connectivity to the landscape. In this regard, the final notification of 200.32 km² as the second addition to Orang National Park has been issued by the Government of Assam (vide letter no. FRW.14/2004/Pt/64 dated 25 August 2022. After the final notification of the second addition to ONP, the connectivity to the Kaziranga landscape through Laokhowa-Burhachapori WLS has been affected.

According to the classification of Champion & Seth (1968), the forest types of the national park are (1) Eastern Seasonal Swamp Forests (4D/SS1); (2) Eastern Himalayan Moist Mixed Deciduous Forests (3C/C3b); (3) Khair-Sisoo Forests (5/1S2); (4) Eastern Wet Alluvial Grasslands (4D/2S2); and (5) Plantations.

OTR is characterized by and interspersion and juxtaposition of beels (water bodies), grasslands and woodlands, and is a representative of a riverine floodplains ecosystem and the ecological succession within the Kaziranga landscape. The area comprises grasslands with woodlands and water bodies. The succession is checked at the grassland seral stage by annual controlled burning and uprooting of trees which colonize the grasslands. The fertile soil deposited by floods every year also promotes growth of grasses.

The Central Brahmaputra Valley region in Assam is a stronghold of the rhino, tiger, water buffalo, elephant, and Gangetic dolphin as well as many other terrestrial and aquatic species. In this region, Orang Tiger Reserve and Kaziranga National Park house the highest-density tiger population in the world (AITM 2018). There are around an estimated 125–130 tigers between these two parks, OTR having 24. OTR has received International CATS (Conservation Assured Tiger Standards) accreditation. The certificate was received on 1st July 2021 on the Global Tiger Day.

Apart from the tiger and rhino, the other important key species are the Bengal florican, pygmy hog, swamp francolin, etc. The Asiatic elephant, hog deer, and wild pig are some of the mammals found in ONP. OTR is home to 284 species of bird, and critically endangered species such as the Bengal florican, greater adjutant stork, lesser adjutant stork, spot-billed pelican, Baer’s pochard, Blyth’s kingfisher, swamp francolin and yellow weaver find a home here.

The future of the tiger and other wildlife populations of ONP is dependent on the connectivity of the park area with the Kaziranga landscape. As Orang Tiger Reserve is part of the Brahmaputra floodplain landscape, the connectivity with the buffer area of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve (KTR), i.e., Laokhowa- Burhachapori WLS, is through the river and its riverine islands. These riverine islands are occupied by many for agricultural purposes and are hindering the connectivity to the landscape. In this regard, the final notification of 200.32 km² as the second addition to Orang National Park has been issued by the Government of Assam (vide letter no. FRW.14/2004/Pt/64 dated 25 August 2022. After the final notification of the second addition to ONP, the connectivity to the Kaziranga landscape through Laokhowa-Burhachapori WLS has been affected .

There is an average footfall of 3500 visitors per year to OTR. No tourist guest house is available inside OTR. The reserve has only day tourism. There are a few private guest houses and hotels outside OTR for visitors. Ten safari vehicles operate in OTR with the help of Nalbari EDC. Four departmental elephants are engaged for elephant rides.

Management Strengths:

It is a unique landscape of the floodplains of the River Brahmaputra, an extension of areas beyond the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve (KTR), comprising habitats with grasslands, wetlands, ponds, riverine islands, and woodlands for threatened and endangered species like the rhino, tiger, Bengal florican, pygmy hog, Gangetic dolphin and hog deer.
With the issue of the preliminary notification on 3 January 2022 of the first addition to OTR by including an additional area of 200.32 km² to the existing core area of 78.80 km², it is now a viable diverse habitat. The extended protected area network strengthens OTR connectivity with the KTR buffer area (Laokhowa-Burachapori WLS) by ensuring effective protection and helping maintain a healthy gene pool.
Network of 40 anti-poaching camps, with the presence of two sections of armed Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF), along other staff, a dog squad and 42 camp elephants, has strengthened the protection considerably. Patrolling on elephant-back and in floating camps has made all areas of the OTR accessible to the protection staff for most of the year. Due to these measures, no poaching incident has been reported since 2018 in OTR.
Neither the existing core nor the first addition to the core area has any habitations/villages inside it. This makes the core area completely inviolate. Further, in the absence of any linear infrastructure like a highway or railway line passing through OTR, it is free from any problem of fragmentation of habitats.
Due to its proximity with Guwahati, it has good potential for eco-tourism. Presently about 3500 tourists are visiting OTR every year. Community based eco-tourism may be strengthened through EDCs. Entry fee collection will help realize a better income for the Tiger Conservation Foundation.

Management Weaknesses:

Presently there are about 40% vacancies in various cadres in OTR. For effective management of OTR’s activities, these vacancies need to be filled up on priority.
The buffer area of OTR has still not been transferred to it and continues to be with the adjoining territorial divisions. For addressing the important issue of confronting wildlife and human populations in the buffer areas, the core and buffer need to be brought under the unified control of OTR.
To address the livelihood issues, EDCs should have user groups and self-help groups, especially involving women. These groups can function on common interest and with local banking institutions on microcredit/financing. OTR may provide training and infrastructure support to them.
Invasive weeds, both on land and water, continue to be a threat to the habitat. Chromolaena odorata, Mimosa species, Mikania species, etc. are invading the grasslands, and water hyacinth the wetlands and ponds. The present efforts to eradicate them are not enough. Bombax ceiba, which was grown in the past (before these areas were brought under wildlife management) as a species in softwood working circle areas, is also invading the grasslands. Presently girdling of mother trees is being done to keep their regeneration under control and to save the grasslands.
Resource dependence of local communities in the buffer zone (grazing) is there in OTR. Solar fencing is erected to keep it under control. Concerted efforts may be made involving the EDCs to check this problem.
The Tiger Conservation Foundation has been established, but it does not have funds or a strong resource base to meet its objectives.
There is no institutionalized coordination between the OTR and the rural development or line departments implementing their programmes in the buffer areas.

Immediate Actionable Points:

After the final government notification dated 25 August 2022 of the second addition of 200.32 km² to OTR, the matter may be followed up with revenue authorities for expediting the process of handing over the area to the forest department with necessary records and maps and taking further action to notify it as tiger reserve (as an addition to the existing tiger reserve area).
Filling up the vacancies on priority.
Transfer of buffer areas to OTR from adjoining territorial divisions, to have unified control of the core and buffer by Mangaldoi Wildlife Division (OTR).
Working out the thematic training modules, imparting training to the park staff and documenting the same.
The Local Area Committee (LAC) is yet to be formed—necessary action may be taken for its formation.
The notification of ESZ was not available. If it has already been issued, the same may be obtained and follow-up action taken.
The complaint handling system, both online and offline, in OTR needs to be revamped, making it responsive with periodic submission of reports/returns on receipt of complaints/its processing/action taken and review.

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Orang Tiger Reserve

Introduction

Management Strengths:

Management Weaknesses:

Immediate Actionable Points:

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